Delhi govt forms panel to assess impact of bio-decomposer

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Friday said the panel will have five MLAs, and officials from IARI and agriculture department, who will assess the effectiveness of this solution in the rural pockets of the city.

The Delhi government on Friday set up a 15-member impact assessment committee to assess the effectiveness of ‘Pusa bio-decomposer’, developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) to turn stubble into manure without having to burn it.

The minister said that the government has received 2,300 complaints on the “Green Delhi” mobile app so far, of which 1,346 have been resolved. (PTI)

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Friday said the panel will have five MLAs, and officials from IARI and agriculture department, who will assess the effectiveness of this solution in the rural pockets of the city.

“The government has decided to set up an impact assessment committee to ascertain the effectiveness of the Pusa bio-decomposer in reducing stubble burning in Delhi,” Rai said a media briefing.

The committee has been asked to submit an assessment report to the government within a week. The report will be presented before the Supreme Court after Diwali and urge it to direct other agrarian states to use this cost-effective solution so that Delhi can be saved from the annual problem of pollution on account of farm fires, Rai said.

Citing data from central government’s System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar) data, Rai said the share of stubble burning in Delhi’s pollution rose to 42% on Thursday, the maximum so far this season.

“There is pollution due to local sources as well, but emissions from stubble burning and firecrackers make the situation worse in Delhi,” he said.

The minister said that the government has received 2,300 complaints on the “Green Delhi” mobile app so far, of which 1,346 have been resolved.

Most of the complaints are related to garbage dumping from north Delhi municipal corporation areas, and burning of biomass and plastic waste, he said.