Center asks states to chalk out comprehensive action plan against stubble burning

New Delhi: To curb air pollution in the national capital during winter due to stubble burning, Center has asked the state governments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi to strive for achieving zero stubble burning in the near future.

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar reviewed the preparedness of states for the management of stubble burning–a key activity that farmers take up to prepare the ground for the sowing of the wheat crop around the time winter sets in.
The Minister said, the Centre and the concerned States should jointly evolve a long-term planning and must undertake multi-pronged activities to achieve the target of Zero Stubble Burning within a specified time-frame.

Tomar said, Rs 600 crore was already provided to the States this financial year and they have the unspent amount of Rs 300 Crore, which should be utilized properly.
For effective control of paddy stubble burning during the ensuing season, Tomar said the states should chalk out a comprehensive action plan at the micro level.

“If all the actions are taken at the State level holistically, the stubble burning can be effectively controlled during the coming season” he said.

He urged the officials to make arrangements to take the farmers to the sites where the Pusa Decomposer developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is being used for practical demonstrations.

The Centre has already released ₹ 240 crore, ₹ 191.53 crore, ₹ 154.29 crore, and ₹ 14.18 crore to Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and ICAR, respectively, as the first installment under a central scheme to promote agricultural machination for in-situ management of crop residue.

The decomposer has been used in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi in around 5.7 lakh hectare area which is equivalent to about 3.5 million tonnes of straw managed.

Through satellite imaging and monitoring, it was observed that the 92% area of the decomposer sprayed plots had been managed through decomposition and only 8% area in these plots was burned.