Paddy Straw Management Workshop identified strategies and solutions for achieving target of zero stubble burning
Cooperative Societies to support SC beneficiaries and replicating successful
initiatives: KAP Sinha
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Government of India, the
state of Punjab and PAU organised workshop on 'Paddy Straw Management and
Action Plans' commenced at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Senior
officers from Government of India and Punjab, KVK, scientists from PAU, other stakeholders
in the Central Government, State Governments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh,
and NCR of Delhi, State Pollution Control Boards, Indian Council of
Agricultural Research, academia, various stakeholder agencies, social groups
and NGOs, agricultural machinery manufacturing industries, and biomass industry
associations and more than 300 farmers participated in the workshop.
The Chief Guest, KAP Sinha, Additional Chief
Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Government of
Punjab, highlighted the significance of farming by quoting, "Once in your
life you need a doctor, lawyer, policeman, or preacher but every day — three
times a day — you need a farmer." He acknowledged the desire to eliminate
the practice of paddy straw burning but identified obstacles hindering
progress. Further he proposed increasing baler capacity, deploying more
machinery in high-burning areas, involving cooperative societies to support SC
beneficiaries, and replicating successful initiatives. He expressed his hope
for no-burn agriculture to become the norm by the following year.
Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, PAU Vice Chancellor,
cautioned that stubble burning emits toxic pollutants which disperse in the
surroundings and, eventually, affect the air quality and people’s health as
well as soil health. He advocated the concept of conservation agriculture which
upcycles paddy straw without producing any waste. He called for synergy among
the Department of Agriculture, NGOs, academia, industry and farmers to tackle
the menace of paddy straw burning.
S Rukmani, Joint Secretary, Department of Agriculture
and Farmers' Welfare, Government of India, briefed about Central Sector Scheme
to support for crop residue management. The scheme provides financial
assistance of 50% for farmers to purchase designated machinery and 80% for
Cooperative Societies, Farmers Producers Organization (FPOs), and Panchayats to
establish Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs). While addressing she emphasized on air
pollution and subsidizing machinery.
Rukmani pointed reduction of 30-40% in paddy straw
burning since last year and emphasized the workshop’s goal of creating a
value-chain plan to utilize paddy straw as a resource and minimize losses for
farmers and express her thought on joint action plan for paddy straw
management.
Arvind Nautiyal, Member Secretary of the Commission
for Air Quality Management (CAQM), New Delhi, underlined the detrimental
effects of air pollution on the environment, climate, and human health. He
recommended measures such as crop diversification, the DSR method, and
promoting basmati varieties as well as short-duration and long straw-generating
varieties. ex-situ management through strategic mapping of villages,
establishing briquetting/pelleting plants at strategic locations, and
developing a supply chain for utilizing straw as fuel in various industries and
for biomass power generation, compressed biogas production, bio-ethanol,
packaging material etc.
Dr Ajmer Singh Dhatt, PAU’s Director, Research,
sensitized the gathering and said that efforts being made by PAU to tackle the
burning issue of paddy straw management with machines like Happy Seeder and
Super Seeder as well as technologies for ex-situ and in-situ straw management.
Further he encouraged farmers to adopt this cost-effective, eco-friendly, and
water-efficient method to enhance soil health, crop output, and overall yield
while reducing input costs.
Dr Gurvinder Singh, Director Agriculture and
Farmers’ Welfare, Punjab talked about the state’s paddy straw management
strategies and action plans for the 2023 season. Earlier, Dr Gurmeet Singh
Buttar, Director Extension of PAU delivered the welcome address while Dr G P S
Sodhi, Additional Director of Extension Education proposed the vote of thanks.
Dr Vishal Bector, Associate Director (Institution Relations) coordinated the
programmme.
During the workshop the officers from Ministry of
Power, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy highlighted the initiatives for utilization of biomass and paddy straw
such as ‘Sustainable Alternative towards Affordable Transportation' (SATAT) to
promote setting up of CBG projects using biomass as raw material. Oil Marketing
Companies are setting up 2G ethanol plants based on various feed stocks including
paddy straw in the country. Ministry of Power has issued revised policy on
biomass utilization for power generation through co-firing in coal based power
plants which mandates the use of 5 -7% biomass pellets made primarily of
agro-residue along with coal in thermal power plants.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has framed
guidelines for providing one-time financial assistance for establishment of
paddy straw based palletization and torrefaction plants, MNRE is
implementing Biomass Programme with the broader objectives of promoting
technologies for optimum use of country’s biomass resources and the major
recommendations have been summarized by joint secretary DA&FW and Dr AN Meshram,
Deputy commissioner, DA&FW offered vote of thanks.