Centre asks Punjab govt to chalk out detailed plan to control paddy stubble burning

Abhilaksh Likhi, additional secretary in the Union agriculture ministry, told state officials to chalk out a detailed plan while attending a farm demonstration on crop residue management at Rangian village in Kharar tehsil of SAS Nagar district in Punjab, an official statement said.

The Centre on Monday asked the Punjab government to chalk out a comprehensive action plan at the micro-level for effective control of paddy stubble burning during the ensuing season.

The Centre on Monday asked the Punjab government to chalk out a comprehensive action plan at the micro-level for effective control of paddy stubble burning during the ensuing season. (HT File/Representational image)

Abhilaksh Likhi, additional secretary in the Union agriculture ministry, told state officials to chalk out a detailed plan while attending a farm demonstration on crop residue management at Rangian village in Kharar tehsil of SAS Nagar district in Punjab, an official statement said. The states were also told to establish a mechanism to ensure effective utilisation of machines, promote the use of bio-decomposer in a complementary mode with the crop residue management (CRM) machines, and promote ex-situ utilisation of straw by way of mapping demand from adjoining industries like biomass-based power plants, etc.

“...if all the actions are taken at the state-level in a holistic manner, stubble burning can be effectively controlled during the coming season,” Likhi said. To promote the use of bio-decomposer technology, the Centre has revised the operational guidelines of the CRM scheme in August 2022 and provisions have been made for conducting large-scale demonstrations of bio-decomposer on farmers’ fields by way of utilising flexi-funds under the scheme.