Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said that the government will start spraying “bio-decomposer” in the fields to decompose straw and stubble left in the fields after harvesting. The solution turns the straw and stubble into manure and is seen by the government as a solution to avoid burning them.
The Chief Minister made the announcement after visiting a facility in Kharkhari Nahar village, where the bio-decomposer capsule which was developed by Pusa Institute, is made into a solution through a week-long process.
Creating a model
Development Minister Gopal Rai, who was also present, said that though people say there is not much stubble burning in Delhi, the government is using this bio decomposer in Delhi and creating a model, so that other States cannot make any excuses for burning stubble. “If Delhi can make a centralised system and do it, then other States can also do it. It depends on how serious they are. Delhi will get benefit only when Punjab and Haryana will use this,” Mr. Rai said.
“The entire process of creating the solution to spraying it on the fields across the entire Delhi costs only around ₹20 lakh. I hope this will prove to be an effective alternative for the neighbouring States as well,” the Chief Minister said.
Meanwhile, farmers of two villages The Hindu met are wary since they can only sow wheat or mustard about 20-25 days after the government sprays the solution and said they doubt whether the time gap may affect their next crop.
Sell straw
About a dozen farmers from two villages and a farmer’s association told The Hindu said that they do not burn the stubble in Delhi and also the crop is cut by labourers not using machines.
There are two kinds of waste after harvesting: one is the straw left behind after threshing and taking out the grain. And the second is the stubble which is left attached to the ground, along with the root system, after harvesting. The burning of both of them is broadly termed as stubble burning.
In Punjab and Haryana, the crop is cut mostly by combine harvesters, which leaves a longer stubble attached to the ground. Farmers burn it as they cannot plough them back into the Earth very easily. In many cases, they also burn the straw as it is not sold or used as fodder for animals.
“Last year, we sold straw of one acre after harvesting for about ₹3,000. We even sell them to other villagers who use it as fodder for cows after mixing it with straw of jowar or bajra,” said Surender Singh, 45, a farmer from Kharkhari Jatmal village. Singh said that he was ready to try the new solution on the stubble standing on the ground after selling the straw.
Many other farmers had a similar opinion.
But he was wary. “Last year, I sowed wheat in December as the harvesting of paddy was late. Half of my seeds did not germinate and I ended up losing a lot of money. I hope the spraying won’t delay my next sowing,” the farmer said.
A group of farmers gathered at the spot said the bio-decomposer will be more useful in Haryana and Punjab where the farm waste is burnt.
Nithin Phalswal, 27, from Ghumman Hera village said that he would allow spraying only in half of his farm land close to a canal where sowing is done a little late. “If I allow in the other half and I get delayed for sowing and the soil moisture decreases, then the seeds won’t germinate,” he said.
Most farmers said that the government is yet to contact them for the procedure.