New Delhi: Ahead of crucial months when stubble burning in neighbouring states affects the pollution levels in the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Wednesday said that the government will use technology to curb stubble burning. 

Addressing a conference, Kejriwal said that the Delhi government will use technology developed by Pusa Agriculture Institute, to curb stubble burning. “The institute’s capsule mixed with jaggery and chickpea flour turns crop stubble into manure. This mix will be prepared by the govt under the guidance of the Institute from October 5,” Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal said that in Delhi, there is 800 hectare where non-basmati rice is grown and the Delhi government will provide this solution to the farmers free of cost. “It will cost us less than Rs 20 lakhs. As per the Institute, this method helps enrich soil quality. It will cost us less than Rs 20 lakhs,” Kejriwal further said.

Environment departments of states to hold a meeting on October 1

Meanwhile, the environment ministries of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh will meet on October 1 to tackle the problem of stubble burning, which results in increasing the pollution levels in Delhi every year during the winter season. 

“A virtual meeting of the environment ministers of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh will be held on October 1. Besides the environment ministers, the meeting will be attended by state environment secretaries, pollution control board members and municipal corporations, DDA and NDMC,” union minister Prakash Javadekar said in a press conference today.

Farmers in these states set the residue of their crop on fire to clear their fields after harvesting. The practice also ensures that the fields are ready for potato and wheat cultivation. According to agency reports, Punjab produced 20 million tonnes of paddy residue last year. Farmers burnt 9.8 million out of it. Haryana burnt 1.23 million tonnes of the 7 million paddy residue the state produced – news agency PTI reported. 

First, we will review the short term plan, medium and long term plans made in 2016. CPCB’s 50 teams visit spots and assess the situations October 15 onwards every year. The meeting will review their work in the last two years. A review of the work done by the states will also be done,” Javadekar further said.