With an aim to reduce the air pollution caused by the burning of stubble, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to provide bio-decomposers to 1.7 million farmers to convert paddy straw into bio-compost, an official statement released on August 22 mentioned.
The government took cognisance of the burning the crop residue which is a common practice after harvesting paddy and wheat — the main Kharif and Rabi crops of the state — in order to prepare the agricultural fields for the next crops.
The press note refers to the draft of the Uttar Pradesh State Bioenergy Policy 2022, based on which various types of incentives will be provided to agriculture residue-based bio-CNG [Compressed Natural Gas] and bio-CBG [Compressed Bio-Gas] units.
“A plant of this kind, costing around Rs 160 crore, is being set up by Indian Oil in Dhuriapar, Dakshinanchal, Gorakhpur. It is expected to be operational by March 2023. It will utilize rice and wheat straw, rice husk, sugarcane leaves, and cow dung and each material will have a fixed rate. In this way, the stubble of the crops will also get the price,” the press release stated.
“Apart from the employment provided in the plant, large scale employment will be generated at the local level in the field of gathering, loading, unloading and transportation of raw materials for the requirement of the plant. The compost manure that will be available after the production of CNG and CBG will be made available to the farmers at cheap rates,” it added.
Furthermore, the official statement mentioned that the programs to educate farmers about the negative impacts of stubble burning will continue through agricultural science centers and farmer welfare centers.
Referring to a research that shows that the amount of NPK [Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium] in remaining crop residues is 0.5 per cent, 0.6 per cent and 1.5 per cent respectively, the government suggested that “instead of burning them, if these residues are composted in the field, the soil will have access to these nutrients. This can lead to a savings of around 25 percent on fertilisers in the next crop, resulting in reduced costs and increased profits. It also helps in retaining soil’s organic matter, preserving bacteria-fungi balance, environmental conservation, and reducing the impact of global warming”.
“According to a study by the Gorakhpur Environmental Action Group, burning stubble not only releases nutrients, but also leads to the loss of around 400 kilograms of valuable carbon per acre, along with 10-40 crore bacteria and 1-2 lakh fungi in every gram of soil,” it added.
The press statement advised the cultivators that instead of burning stubble, they should try deep ploughing it into the field and irrigating the land.
“Before sowing the next crop, you can apply around 5 kilograms of urea per acre to enhance its quick decomposition,” it suggested.
