Lok Sabha Question No. 1018 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-13
Subject: Stubble Burning
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Su Thirunavukkarasar, Bheemrao Baswanthrao Patil, Ravneet Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1018

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 13 TH  DECEMBER 2022

## STUBBLE BURNING

1018.  SHRI THIRUNAVUKKARASAR SU.: SHRI B.B. PATIL: SHRI RAVNEET SINGH BITTU:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ षि एवं षकसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of the issue of stubble burning in agricultural  fields  in  various  northern  States  in  the  country  and  if  so,  the estimated number of incidents reported so far during each of the last three years and  the  current  year  especially  in  the  State  of  Punjab  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (b)  the  steps taken to deal with stubble burning and reducing environmental pollution;
- (c) whether spraying of bio-decomposer in fields including the long term action plans initiated to eliminate stubble burning have not yielded the desired results and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the details of financial assistance proposed to States/farmers to remove the stubble in their farms to avoid burning and to control the pollution;
- (e) whether the Government is providing any subsidy on the machines used for stubble cutting and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Union  Government  for  promotion  of  small  scale industries making product from stubble?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

क ृ षि एवं षकसान कल्याण मंत्री

(SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) 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. As  per  the  satellite  data  generated  by  the  Consortium  for  Research  on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modeling from Space (CREAMS) Laboratory, Division of Agricultural Physics, ICAR - Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, the active fire events due to rice residue burning during each of the

last three years and the current year in the States of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh were as under:

| S. No.   | State         | Number of active fire events of paddy residue burning   | Number of active fire events of paddy residue burning   | Number of active fire events of paddy residue burning   | Number of active fire events of paddy residue burning   |
|----------|---------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No.   | State         | 2019-20                                                 | 2020-21                                                 | 2021-22                                                 | 2022-23                                                 |
| 1        | Punjab        | 50738                                                   | 83002                                                   | 71304                                                   | 49922                                                   |
| 2.       | Haryana       | 6364                                                    | 4202                                                    | 6987                                                    | 3661                                                    |
| 3.       | Uttar Pradesh | 4230                                                    | 4631                                                    | 4242                                                    | 3017                                                    |

(b) To  support  the  efforts  of  the  Governments  of  Punjab,  Haryana,  Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi to address air pollution and to subsidize machinery required  for  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' is being implemented from 2018-19.

(c) The Indian Council of Agricultural Research has developed Pusa Decomposer,  a  microbial  consortium  of  fungal  species  (both  in  liquid  and capsule forms) for rapid decomposition of paddy straw. Use of this consortium accelerates process of paddy straw decomposition in the field itself in 20-25 days. In the year 2021, decomposer has been used in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi in an around 5.7 lakh hectare area and through satellite imaging and monitoring, it was observed that 92% area of the decomposer sprayed plots has been managed through decomposition and only  8%  area  in  these  plots  was  burned.  During  the  year  2022-23,  the  biodecomposer has been used by the States in more than 7.15 lakh hectare area.

(d) and (e) The  scheme  as  indicated  in  part  (b),  promote  the  usage  of machines for stubble management such as Super Straw Management Systems, Happy Seeder, Super Seeder, Smart Seeder, Zero Till Seed cum Fertilizer Drill, Mulcher,  Shrub  Master/Rotary  Slasher,  Paddy  Straw  Chopper,  Hydraulically Reversible Mould Board Plough, Crop Reapers and Reaper binders for in-situ management of crop residue and Balers & Rakes which are used for straw collection  in  the  form  of  bales  for  other  ex-situ  uses  of  straw.  Financial assistance  @  50%  of  the  cost  of  machinery  is  provided  to  the  farmers  for purchase of these identified crop residue management machinery and financial assistance @ 80% of the project cost is provided to the Cooperative Societies of  Farmers,  Farmers  Producers  Organization  (FPOs)  and  Panchayats  for establishment of Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) of these identified crop residue management machinery.  During  the  period  from  2018-19  to  2022-23,  funds amounting to Rs. 3138.17 crores have been released for these States and more than  37000  Custom Hiring  Centres(CHCs) have been established and more than 2.30 lakh crop residue management machines have been supplied to these CHCs and individual farmers of these States.

(f)  In  order  to  promote  the  usage  of  bi-products  made  from  crop  residue including paddy stubbles, the Ministry of Power has brought 'Revised Policy for Biomass  Utilization  for  power  generation  Through  Co-firing  in  Coal  based Power Plants' which mandates co-firing of 5-7 % of suitable biomass pellets along with coal in coal based power plants. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has notified Bioenergy Programme which promote the conversion of biomass and other waste material into other useful forms of energy. The Oil Central Public Enterprises have set up Second Generation (2G) ethanol biorefineries for production of ethanol using agricultural crop residue as feedstock. Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas involves extracting economic value from  bio-mass/waste  including  rice  straw  to  generate  Compressed  Bio-Gas (CBG) as an alternative, green transport fuel.

*****