PATIALA: In a bid to check stubble burning, Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), along with an NGO, has initiated a trial to decompose paddy residue faster after it is incorporated in agricultural fields.
For this, the NGO and PPCB have initiated trial on around 350 acres of land in Patiala, Ropar and Fatehgarh Sahib. Delhi-based IPS Foundation said a liquid decomposer is poured on crop residue before it is ploughed and incorporated into agricultural fields.
According to the foundation, work on this has been in progress for the past two weeks.
PPCB member secretary Karunesh Garg said the NGO is working on the project of decomposing crop residue faster on trial basis. If the project is successful, it may help curb stubble burning in Punjab, he said.
Ajay Malik, project manager, (India Paryavaran Sahayak) IPS foundation said around four litres of liquid decomposer is mixed with 200 litres of water and sprayed on the stubble in one acre before being incorporated into the fields.
“This liquid decomposer is made in Gujarat. Around four litres is required per acre to decompose crop residue faster. We are carrying out this trial free of cost in agricultural fields with the consent of farmers. In Ropar, the trial is conducted on around 75 acres, in Fatehgarh Sahib around 100 acres has been covered while the remaining is being covered in Patiala. The trial started on October 13 and the liquid was applied over the crop residue,” said Malik.
He said farmers can continue sowing the next crop after incorporating the stubble into the fields as the liquid would expedite decomposition of the stubble.
“Decomposition will become faster in the same agricultural land in the third consecutive year if the farmer keeps using this liquid for three years to decompose its stubble into the fields,” he explained.
Malik said last year also, efforts were made by the foundation in the same direction but they were late and could not meet the standard operating procedure (SOP). He said the foundation has been working in Punjab for the last three years and were creating awareness against stubble burning in around 162 villages of six districts in Punjab.