Lok Sabha Question No. 1908 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-01
Subject: Stubble Burning
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Ranjeetsingh Naik Nimbalkar

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1908 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 1 ST  AUGUST 2023

## STUBBLE BURNING

1908. SHRI RANJEETSINGH NAIK NIMBALKAR:

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

(a)  the various steps taken by the Government to check the pollution caused due to stubble burning;

- (b)  whether any scheme has been launched by the Government in this regard, if so, the details thereof;

(c)  the details of the incidents of stubble burning reported during each of the last three years; and

(d)  the steps taken by the Union and State Government of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्री (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) to (d): 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.  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 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' has been implemented from 2018-19. The scheme promotes the usage of machines 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 paddy straw  and Balers & Straw Rakes for ex-situ management of paddy straw. Financial assistance @ 50% of the cost of machinery is provided to the farmers for purchase of these identified 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  machines.  The  details  of  State-wise  funds released during last five years is as under:

| Year    | Funds Released (Rs. in Crores)   | Funds Released (Rs. in Crores)   | Funds Released (Rs. in Crores)   | Funds Released (Rs. in Crores)   | Funds Released (Rs. in Crores)   | Funds Released (Rs. in Crores)   |
|---------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| Year    | Punjab                           | Haryana                          | Uttar Pradesh                    | NCT of Delhi                     | ICAR & Others                    | Total                            |
| 2018-19 | 269.38                           | 137.84                           | 148.60                           | 0.00                             | 28.51                            | 584.33                           |
| 2019-20 | 273.80                           | 192.06                           | 105.28                           | 4.52                             | 18.48                            | 594.14                           |
| 2020-21 | 272.50                           | 170.00                           | 120.20                           | 0.00                             | 8.00                             | 570.70                           |
| 2021-22 | 331.94                           | 193.35                           | 159.59                           | 0.00                             | 6.02                             | 690.90                           |
| 2022-23 | 278.83                           | 223.46                           | 180.00                           | 1.53                             | 14.28                            | 698.10                           |
| Total   | 1426.45                          | 916.71                           | 713.67                           | 6.05                             | 75.29                            | 3138.17                          |

The States have established more than 39000 Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) and more than 2.42 lakh crop residue management machines have been supplied to these CHCs and individual farmers of these States. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research  has  developed  Pusa  bio-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 and in the year 2022, the decomposer has been used by the States in an around 7.45 lakh hectare area.

The scheme guidelines have been revised with a view to enable efficient ex-situ  management of paddy straw generated in these States  Provisions have been made to establish  techno-commercial pilot projects for paddy straw supply chain  under  the  bilateral  agreement  of    beneficiary/  aggregator  (Farmers,  Rural entrepreneurs, Cooperative Societies of farmers, Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs)  and  Panchayats)  and  Industries  utilizing  the  paddy  straw.  Financial assistance @ 65% on the capital cost of machinery costing up to Rs. 1.50 crores is provided by the Government.  Industry as primary promoter of the project has to contribute 25% of the project cost and the balance 10% will be the contribution of beneficiary/aggregator. The intervention aims at establishing a robust supply chain of  paddy straw for various end user industries in biomass power generation and biofuel sectors.

The satellite-based monitoring indicated that a total 56600 paddy residue burning events were detected in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in 2022 season which are 28.1% less than those reported in 2021. The State-wise incidents of paddy stubble burning reported during each of the last three years are given as under:

| State         |   Number of paddy stubble burning events |   Number of paddy stubble burning events |   Number of paddy stubble burning events |
|---------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|               |                                     2020 |                                     2021 |                                     2022 |
| Punjab        |                                    83002 |                                    71304 |                                    49922 |
| Haryana       |                                     4202 |                                     6987 |                                     3661 |
| Uttar Pradesh |                                     4631 |                                     4242 |                                     3017 |
| Total         |                                    94620 |                                    78748 |                                    56600 |

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