Lok Sabha Question No. 2293 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-29
Subject: Management of Crop Residues
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, VIJAY KUMAR S.R., SUDHEER GUPTA, T. RADHAKRISHNAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2293

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  29 TH  NOVEMBER, 2016

## MANAGEMENT OF CROP RESIDUES

2293.  SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO: SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR: SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA: SHRI T. RADHAKRISHNAN:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS  WELFARE      ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has formulated the 'National Policy for Management of Crop  Residues  (NPMCR),  to  ensure  prevention  of  burning  of  crop  residues  in  the country and if so, the details and achievements thereof;
- (b) whether the States/UTs have not strictly followed the said policy;
- (c) if  so,  the  reasons  therefor  along  with  the  action  taken/being  taken  by  the Government in this regard;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  recently  convened  a  meeting  with  the  States  to discuss issues of crop residue management;
- (e) if so, the details of issues discussed and the outcome thereof; and
- (f) the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  for  scientific  crop  residue management in the country?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE (  SHRI  S.S.

‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान  कयाण ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã ½ãñâ Àã·¾ã ½ãâ¨ããè AHLUWALIA)

- (a) to (c): Yes.  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers  Welfare,  Government  of  India has formulated a 'National Policy for Management of Crop Residue (NPMCR) in year 2014 to curb residue burning for prevention of soil and environmental degradation.

NPMCR has been circulated to all the states including Ministry of Environment, Forests  &  Climate  Change  (MoEF&CC)  for  implementation.  MoEF&CC  has  also advised all the states to issue an advisory in multimedia mode at state as well as local levels to farmers for prevention of burning of crop residues and to facilitate diversified use  of  crop  residues  as  fuel  for  power  plants,  production  of  cellulosic  ethanol, paper/board and packing material etc. in public-private partnership mode. However, as per the seventh schedule of the constitution of India, land and agriculture fall under the purview  of  the  State  Governments  and,  therefore,  it  is  for  the  State  Governments  to bring suitable policy/legislation to prevent burning of crop residue. Contd…2/-

-2-

(d) & (e): A  meeting  was  convened  under  the  Chairmanship  of  Union  Minister  of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare on 8.11.2016 to discuss various issues regarding crop residue  management.  This  meeting  was  attended  by  Minister  of  State  for  Agriculture and  Farmers  Welfare,  senior  officers  of  Department  of  Agriculture,  Cooperation  & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Indian Council of Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  and  representative  of  State  Agriculture  Departments  of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Issues  related  crop  residue  management  and  stubble  burning  of  paddy  were discussed  and  suggested  to  the  states  to  promote  various  farm  machinery  and implements  like  happy  seeder,  rotavator,  zero  till  seed  drill,  paddy  straw  chopper, reaper binder etc. for the management  of crop residues under various crop development programmes like National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas  Yojana  (RKVY),  Crop  Diversification  Programme  (CDP)  and  Sub-Mission  on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), state plan etc.

(f): Government is also recommending scientific technological interventions namely composting of crop residue, production of bio gas, In-situ incorporation of crop residue through  conservation  agriculture  practices,  mushroom  cultivation  and  preparation  of feed for livestock, production of bio-fuel, bio-oil and bio-char in the country.

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