Lok Sabha Question No. 3335 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-01
Subject: Issues of Parali Burning
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: BALABHADRA MAJHI

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

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3335

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 1 ST  JANUARY, 2019

## ISSUES OF  PARALI BURNING

3335.      SHRI BALABHADRA MAJHI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that the burning of Parali has not been stopped even after all  efforts of  the  Government  to  stop  it and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has decided to use parali in the production of electricity  and to  provide  compensation per hectare of land to the farmers for it;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the action  plan  to  solve  the problem  of  Parali  burning  by  the Government

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI  PARSHOTTAM  RUPALA)

- (a): Through  the  various  efforts  under  the  Central  Sector  Scheme  on  'Promotion  of Agricultural  Mechanization  for  In-Situ  Management  of  Crop  Residue  in  the  State  of  Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh & NCT of Delhi' the satellite data indicates that  paddy residue burning events have reduced by 29.5 percent, 24.5 percent and 11.0 percent in the States of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, respectively when compared with the paddy residue burning events in the year 2017.
- (b) & (c): The Ministry of Power had brought out a policy for biomass utilization for power generation through co-firing in pulverized coal fired boilers in November 2017. As per the policy, all  fluidized  bed  and  pulverized  coal  units  (coal  based  thermal  power  plants)  except  those having ball and tube mill, of power generating utilities, public or private, located in India, shall endeavor to use 5-10% blend of biomass pellets made, primarily of agro residue along with coal after assessing the technical feasibility viz. safety aspects etc.  In line with the policy Central Electricity Authority (CEA) had issued an advisory to all concerned State Governments, power Plants  utilities,  power  equipment  manufacturers  and  other  stakeholders  to  promote  use  of biomass pellets.

The  Ministry of Power in a meeting held on 15.11.2018  has decided that the States of Haryana and Punjab shall issue bids for all coal based Thermal Power Plants to use minimum 5 percent of biomass pellets and upto 10 percent to be co-fired with coal.

(d): In pursuance to Budget 2018 announcement regarding a special Scheme to support the efforts of the governments of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and the NCT of Delhi to address air pollution and to subsidize machinery required for in-situ management of crop residue, a new Central Sector Scheme on 'Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi' for the period from 2018-19 to 2019-20 has also been launched  with the total outgo from the Central funds of Rs. 1151.80 crore (Rs. 591.65 crore in 2018-19 and Rs. 560.15 crore in 2019-20).

During 2018-19, the  funds  amounting to Rs.  269.38 crores, Rs.137.84 crores  and Rs. 148.60 crores have been released to the Government of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh respectively  for  distribution  of  in-situ  crop  residue  management  machinery  to  the  farmers  on subsidy, establishment of Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) of in-situ crop residue management machinery  and  undertaking  Information,  Education  and  Communication  (IEC)  activities  for creating awareness among farmers.

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