Centre taking measures to tackle stubble burning: Union minister Bhupender Yadav

Outlining the measures taken by the central government to reduce stubble burning, Union minister Bhupender Yadav said ‘stubble is not waste anymore, it has economic viability as well’

Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav on Sunday said steps are being taken to tackle the stubble burning issue at the onset of the season in Punjab and Haryana.

Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav (PTI)

He said that the Centre has also received support from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi governments to deal with the issue. Yadav, also the Union minister of labour and employment, interacted with media persons at Shram Bureau Bhawan in Chandigarh on the 101st foundation day celebration of the labour bureau.

While outlining the measures taken by the central government to reduce stubble burning, Yadav said, “Stubble is not waste anymore, it has economic viability as well. NTPC and other thermal power plants are purchasing the crop residue. Government has given around ₹700 crores to these states for the higher use of crop residue removal machines.”

Harvesting of paddy, the Kharif season, begins from October onwards. Farmers set their fields on fire to clear crop residue left behind after harvesting paddy, and before cultivating wheat and potatoes.

Yadav also said that some good experiments have also been conducted by private companies on the use of biological decomposition technology. These experiments have been conducted in Punjab as well. The Union minister also mentioned creating a straw-based animal feed for the Kutch region in Gujarat. “We have held meetings with states, and control rooms have also been set up,” he said.

The AQEES has been taken up by the labour bureau to provide frequent updates about the employment and related variables of establishment in both organised and unorganised segments of nine selected sectors.