Come up with workable solutions for crop burning: NGT to govts

use crop residue in pellet form in its thermal power plants with permissible moisture content as it would not be possible to use the residue directly as a source for fuel for these plants.

The green court directed that the meeting would be attended by the secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, additional secretary of the Ministry New and Renewable Energy, principal secretary of the ministry of agriculture of the respective states, a senior scientist from Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, managing director of National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd, chairman and managing director of NTPC Limited, and technical staff.

The bench said the meeting shall deliberate “whether every state should or should not be directed to establish its own pelletisation plant for every agriculture residue to make it fit for utilisation as fuel in the thermal power plant run by NTPC.”

“It shall also be considered if the states can be granted liberty to invite private players who can establish such plants in the respective states,” the court said.

NGT asked the states to recommend a mechanism for transportation of agriculture residue, excluding the residue left in the field for manure, and the incentives which could be provided to the farmers.

“Every state would submit a list before the secretary of agriculture of thermal power plants or biomass-based energy plants which are being run, or are proposed to be constructed in the states,” the bench said.

The minutes of the meeting should be submitted to the NGT before December 6 without default and delay, it said.

The NTPC said that in its six thermal power plants in North India, the demand for stubble would be 8,000-15,000 metric tonnes per day.