The Punjab government has submitted its State Action Plan and District-wise Action Plans for tackling the problem of stubble burning to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR & adjoining areas, according to an official release by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The Action Plans commit to an overall reduction of more than 50% in paddy stubble burning incidents this year as compared to 2022. The plan attempts elimination of paddy stubble burning cases this year in 06 Districts namely Hoshiarpur, Malerkotla, Pathankot, Rupnagar, SAS Nagar (Mohali) and SBS Nagar.
With an estimated 20 million tonnes of paddy straw projected to be generated in Punjab this year, including 3.3 million tonnes of Basmati straw, the state government has placed significant emphasis on efficient crop residue management (CRM). Currently, Punjab boasts 1,17,672 crop residue management machines, with plans to procure an additional 23,000 machines in 2023. The CAQM has urged the Punjab government to optimally utilize these machines through the 23,792 custom hiring centers (CHCs) established across the state.
The state government is also planning to use paddy straw for various industrial and energy generation projects. It is estimated that in 2023, the state will manage around 11.5 million tonnes of paddy straw through In-situ management and about 4.67 million tonnes of paddy straw through Ex-situ management. Sizable quantity of straw will also be used as cattle fodder.
CAQM has also directed the state government to conduct various IEC activities to spread awareness towards substantial reduction of paddy residue burning during the current harvesting season.
In 2022, the five districts of Punjab where maximum crop burning incidents reported were Sangrur, Bathinda, Firozpur, Muktasar, and Moga, which recorded about 44% of total fire counts of the state.
CAQM has already held four meetings to firm up the action plan and to review the preparedness and implementation of State and District Action Plans for the current paddy harvesting season. This year, CAQM has also sought specific District-wise Action Plans along with the State Action Plan. The Commission has also issued Statutory Directions for strict implementation of the Action Plans.
