CM APPEALS TO FARMERS TO CURB BURNING OF STUBBLE

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government has come out with an elaborate action plan to curb the stubble burning menace in the state that includes facilitating its industrial use and energy conversion.

The plan has been drawn up by the department of science, technology and environment, on the direction of chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who who has also made an appeal to farmers to abstain from burning the agricultural residue.

With 75% of the 19.7 million tonnes of paddy straw generated in Punjab every year, the problem has assumed dangerous proportions, leading to loss of organic material for soil, degradation of air quality and high SPM level. Of the total paddy straw, only 21.8% is consumed in biomass based projects, paper/ cardboard mills and animal fodder/other uses, while a small portion is managed through other systems such as machinery and equipment.

As part of its action plan, the department has suggested management of the remaining 15.40 million tonnes per year of paddy residue through crop diversification, agriculture straw management equipment and industrial use. Significant investment is being made to set up biomass power plant, bio refineries and demonstration plants in various parts of the state to facilitate industrial use and energy conversion of the agricultural residue.