India Region

Center provided 47 thousand machines and Rs 601.53 crore in current year for crop residue management

19 October 2022, New Delhi: The Union Inter-Ministerial Meeting with the States on the issues of Crop Residue Management was chaired by the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar with the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupendra Yadav and the Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala in co-chair. 

The three ministers held intense discussions with the states to check the burning of stubble. Mr. Tomar said that there is a need to fix the accountability of the collectors in the affected districts by the respective State Governments, while Mr. Yadav said that the states should implement effective measures immediately. Mr. Rupala stressed on proactive steps, especially for the problem of stubble burning in Punjab.

In the high-level review meeting, senior officials of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi state government and top officials of all the three central ministries as well as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Central Pollution Control Board, Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas, Ministry of Power and senior officials of other central ministries and departments participated. 

It was informed in the meeting that the states need to ensure effective utilization of 2.07 lakh machines already supplied by the Center during the last 4 years and 47,000 machines being provided during the current year. Under the Central Scheme on Crop Residue Management, the Government is already providing financial assistance to Punjab, Haryana, U.P. and NCT Delhi to combat air pollution in Delhi NCR due to stubble burning. 

Rs. 601.53 crore has already been released by the Center during the current year so far. Also, out of the amount given in the last four years, about Rs 900 crore is available with the states. The need for effective utilization of funds provided by the Government of India to the states for stubble management was emphasized in the meeting.

Mr. Tomar said that the states should promote widespread use of bio-decomposer developed by the Pusa Institute for effective in-situ decomposition of stubble. He said that the Central Government has tried its best to fulfil the expectations of states. If the state governments also work diligently in the same way, it will bring good results. Especially, if effective checking is done on stubble burning in Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts of Punjab, then half the job will be done, because these two districts are facing the maximum problem. 

Effective control in these four states will also help contain the problem from spreading to other states. 

Mr. Tomar said that a workshop is being organized in Pusa, Delhi on 4th November, in which farmers from Punjab and adjoining areas have been called for this purpose, senior officers of Punjab should also participate in this workshop so that their doubts regarding the Pusa decomposer are cleared. He said that Pusa decomposer is the cheapest and most effective solution for Crop Residue Management, which needs to be promoted.

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