Punjab, Delhi governments join hands to tackle stubble burning with bio-decomposers
The Punjab and Delhi Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) governments have come together to tackle the stubble burning issue with bio-decomposers. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai held a meeting with the Punjab Agriculture Minister Sardar Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and experts from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (PUSA) to discuss air pollution due to stubble burning.
After the meeting, it was decided that as the use of bio-decomposer for stubble decomposing in Delhi was successful, a pilot project of spraying free bio-decomposer would be run in some areas of Punjab. After evaluating the results of the pilot project, a decision regarding spraying decomposers in all the agricultural fields of Punjab will be finalised.
ALSO READ | 1 lakh machines, cash incentives: How Punjab aims to tackle stubble burning Minister Rai said, “Paddy is cultivated in very few areas of Delhi. The Delhi government sprayed free bio-decomposer last year to prevent pollution from stubble burning in Delhi. The initiative was highly successful.”
“The process resulted in the decomposition of stubble and resulted in an increase in soil's fertility. The Delhi government will once again spray bio-decomposer on paddy fields, both Basmati and non-Basmati, this year. Farmers face a challenge due to only a short gap between paddy harvest and wheat planting. The Delhi Government has already begun preparing for spraying bio-decomposers so that the whole process is completed smoothly and the farmers get the best possible outcomes from it,” he said. Bio-decomposers work similarly to organic manure and it improves soil fertility and productivity. This reduces dependence on fertilisers and then less fertiliser is needed. Stubble burning not only pollutes the environment, it also lowers soil fertility as it kills beneficial microbes and fungi. Spraying bio-decomposers is not only an environmentally friendly process but it is effective, efficient, cheap, and productive as well. A pilot project to spray free bio-decomposers in agricultural fields will be run in Punjab under the supervision of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (PUSA). The Punjab Government is launching this initiative for the first time. Therefore, it will be tested in some areas, before expanding it to the entire state. The government will also launch a campaign to educate farmers on the use of the bio-decomposer spray. The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (PUSA) will prepare a detailed plan to ensure that the project is completed on time. 
