Pusa decomposer works, effective at tackling fires: CM

THE DECOMPOSER, BY SCIENTISTS AT IARI-PUSA, TURNS CROP RESIDUE INTO MANURE IN 15 TO 20 DAYS, AND HAS BEEN TOUTED AS A SOLUTION TO STUBBLE FIRES

NEW DELHI: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal hailed as effective a bio-decomposer solution developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), after an inspection of farmlands in north Delhi’s Hiranki Village, where the compound had been sprayed 20 days previously as a trial.

The “Pusa bio-decomposer” is a solution developed by scientists at IARI in Pusa to turn crop residue into manure within 15 to 20 days, and has been vouched to stop the practice of stubble burning in agrarian states such as Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Kejriwal added that the government would inform the Supreme Court of the effectiveness of the solution.

Delhi has found a solution to the problem of crop residue burning and now “no state can now make any excuse”, he said while addressing the media in Hiranki Village.

“The Pusa bio-decomposer was sprayed for free in nonbasmati rice fields here. It has been successful. It has completely decomposed the stubble and turned it into manure. Farmers can now start the sowing of the next crop in the fields,” the chief minister said.

He added, “We are going to tell the Supreme Court, too, that it is an effective way to prevent stubble burning. The people of Delhi and the scientists of Pusa institute have found a cost-effective solution to the problem of stubble burning. I hope this is the last year that we are tolerating it (pollution due to farm fires). Now states cannot make any excuse,”

The CM said he had earlier spoken to Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar over the phone about the utilisation of this composition to control farm fires in other states as well.

“He (Javadekar) said it will be used in other states the next time if the experiment was successful in Delhi,” the chief minister said.