Lok Sabha Question No. 434 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-04
Subject: Stubble Burning by Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shardaben Anilbhai Patel, Rajiv Pratap Rudy

O.I.H.

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.434

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  4 TH  FEBRUARY, 2020

## STUBBLE BURNING BY FARMERS

434.   SHRIMATI SHARDABEN ANILBHAI PATEL: SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY:

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

- (a) whether the farmers owing to non-availability of technology and in the absence of any financial incentive for scientific disposal of stubble are compelled to burn it in the open;
- (b) if so, the immediate action taken by the Government to tackle the problem contributing to the degeneration of Air Quality Index (AQI) in the northern parts of the country particularly Delhi and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government has  taken  steps  to  tackle  pollution  caused  due  to  stubble burning through awareness programme and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has sought to implement measures to reuse and monetize farm waste and if so, the details thereof, if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e) whether the Government plans to incentivize farmers in the region to grow low wateruse crops and if so, the details thereof, if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी ( SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a): Paddy  stubble  burning  is  mainly  practiced  in  Indo-Gangetic  plains  of  the  States  of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to clear the fields for Rabi crop sowing.The farmers are resorting to paddy straw burning because of very short time window between the harvesting of paddy crop and the sowing of next crop.

(b) & (c): To  address  air  pollution  and  to  subsidize  machinery  required  for  in-situ management  of  crop  residue,  a  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  been implemented.

During the year 2018-19 and 2019-20, the funds as under have been released under the aforementioned scheme:

| State/Agency                    | Funds Released (Rs. in Crores)   | Funds Released (Rs. in Crores)   |
|---------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
|                                 | 2018-19                          | 2019-20                          |
| Punjab                          | 269.38                           | 273.80                           |
| Haryana                         | 137.84                           | 192.06                           |
| Uttar Pradesh                   | 148.60                           | 105.28                           |
| NCT of Delhi                    | 0                                | 4.52                             |
| ICAR and other Central Agencies | 28.51                            | 18.48                            |
| Total                           | 584.33                           | 594.14                           |

Out  of  these  funds,  the  State  Governments  during  2018-19  and  2019-20,  have supplied  more  than  100610  machines  to  the  individual  farmers  and  to  the  Custom  Hiring Centres on subsidy for in-situ management of crop residue.

The  State  Governments  and  Krishi  Vigyan  Kendras  (KVKs)  have  also  undertaken Information,  Education  and  Communication (IEC) activities  on  a  massive  scale for  creating awareness among farmers.

(d): The State Governments are promoting the ex-situ management of paddy residue by way of utilizing it in biomass based power plants, production of bioethanol and Bio-CNG. The State  of  Haryana  has  notified  Bio  Energy  Policy  and  has  made  agreement  with  Indian  Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) for setting up of Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plants.  The Ethanol plants of IOCL at Bohali, Panipat has agreed to purchase the paddy straw at remunerative price from the farmers.

(e): The State Government of Punjab has aimed to divert an area of 10 lakh hectares of paddy to other crops like Maize, Basmati Paddy & Cotton. Out of around 13 lakh hectares area  under  paddy,  the  Government  of  Haryana  is  aiming  to  diversify  at  least  one  lakh hectares area every year to alternate crops like Pulses & Maize.

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