Paddy straw not a liability anymore: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said paddy straw is not a liability anymore and urged neighbouring states to make the Pusa bio-decomposer available to their farmers for in-situ management of crop residue.He also said the microbial solution, which can turn stubble into manure, will be sprayed over 4,300 acres belonging to 844 farmers in Delhi.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said paddy straw is not a liability anymore and urged neighboring states to make the Pusa bio-decomposer available to their farmers for in-situ management of crop residue.

He also said the microbial solution, which can turn stubble into manure, will be sprayed over 4,300 acres belonging to 844 farmers in Delhi. Last year, 310 farmers had used it on 1,935 acres of land.

''Paddy straw is not a liability anymore..we would burn it earlier, but now the solution can turn into an asset. We appeal to all states to make this low-cost solution available to their farmers as Delhi did,'' Kejriwal said while launching the preparations of the Pusa bio-decomposer at Kharkhari Nahar village in southwest Delhi.

WAPCOS, a Central government agency that conducted an audit of the bio-decomposer, found that the carbon and nitrogen content of the soil where it was used last year had increased significantly.

He said the Centre's Commission for Air Quality Management has also acknowledged the success of the bio-decomposer and has directed Punjab, Haryana, and UP to use it.

According to officials, Uttar Pradesh will use bio-decomposer in 10 lakh acres of area, Punjab in five lakh acres, Haryana one lakh acre.

Compared to other expensive alternatives for in-situ management of paddy straw, the bio-decomposer costs less than Rs 1,000 per acre, he said. Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the Delhi government will start spraying the solution in fields from October 5.

''Most of the stubble is generated in Punjab, Haryana, and neighboring states. That's why we have been saying that until all the states together move towards the solution of stubble decomposition, it is difficult to solve the problem,” he said.

Pusa Institute's Bio-Decomposer Management Nodal Officer Indramani Mishra said 10 companies have been given licenses to make capsules of the bio-decomposer.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)