Aim to achieve zero stubble burning this year: Narendra Singh Tomar

New Delhi [India]: The central government aims to work towards achieving zero stubble burning in the current season, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said after a high-level inter-Ministerial meeting held yesterday.

The meeting was held to review the preparedness by Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and the NCT of Delhi in preventing paddy stubble burning in the current season.

These are largely the states where leftover paddy stubble is burnt after the Kharif harvest to make way for the Rabi crop sowing. In the process, it leads to the deterioration of the air quality in the national capital region and beyond.

The meeting was co-chaired by Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar and Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav.

During the meeting, the States presented their action plan and strategies for preventing stubble burning in the current season.

The States were advised to utilize the funds provided for crop residue management, make Crop Residue Management (CRM) machinery available well before harvesting season, and bring awareness amongst farmers against paddy stubble burning.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Yadav stated that efforts to prevent paddy stubble burning for the last five years are bearing good results.

Due to the concerted efforts of agencies like the Commission for Air Quality Management, burning instances in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and NCT of Delhi have come down.

There is a need to encourage ex-situ management of paddy straw which will provide raw materials to the user industries like Power and biomass.

Minister Tomar said stubble burning also creates a detrimental effect on farmland by adversely affecting soil health and its fertility apart from air pollution.