Take steps to control stubble burning using available solutions, says Agri min to states

New Delhi: Amid rising air pollution in the national capital, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Friday expressed concerns over politics being played on the stubble burning issue and urged Delhi as well as neighbouring states to take steps to curb the menace.

There is more discussion on "politics" surrounding stubble burning than its impact on land and what steps farmers should take to curb it, Tomar said.

He also rued that stubble burning incidents are rising despite the Centre providing crores of funds and machines to tackle the problem, saying it is definitely a cause of concern.

At an event here, Tomar appealed to four state governments – Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi – to take steps to control stubble burning by making use of available solutions such as Pusa decomposer, a bio-decomposer technique that converts stubble into compost much faster than usual.

Last week, the minister held a review meeting with state government officials concerned on the stubble burning situation which has resulted in severe pollution in the national capital.

Tomar also said that he is ready to meet chief ministers of respective states in case they want to have further discussions on the issue.

While addressing the day-long event on 'Pusa decomposer', Tomar said that ever since stubble burning has become a major issue, the Centre, states, and judiciary have taken note of it, and schemes also have been implemented to deal with the menace.

Pusa decomposer, developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), is cheaper and easier to use. It not only controls stubble burning but also improves the soil fertility and productivity of soil, he added.

Every year, stubble burning in neighbouring states during the paddy harvesting season contributes significantly to air pollution in the national capital and northern India.

For management of stubble, the Centre has provided Rs 3,138 crore to four states since 2018-19 and 2 lakh machines have been made available to them. Out of the total amount, more than Rs 1,400 crore has been given to Punjab, Rs 900 crore to Haryana, Rs 713 crore to Uttar Pradesh and Rs 6-7 crore to Delhi, Tomar said.

"If those machines (like Happy seeder, a tractor mounted machine that cuts and lifts rice straw and sows wheat into the soil, and deposits the straw over the sown area as mulch) are put to use fully, there won't be a problem. If states want to control it, then the answer lies in using whatever solutions are available at present," he said.

Asserting that Pusa decomposer is a successful technique for decomposing the stubble, the minister said, "It is cheaper and easier to use. Farmers have used it. Decomposer will not only control stubble burning but improve soil fertility."

Some states, especially Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, have done good work and are moving towards a positive direction, he added.

"About 2 lakh machines have been purchased through states... if a state is determined, it can control stubble burning," Tomar told reporters on the sidelines of the event.