Don't burn stubble, use as cattle fodder to curb pollution: UP govt

LUCKNOW: Feeding stubble to stray cattle has been pitched as a key measure by the Yogi Adityanath government to dispose of agricultural residue, which is often burned by farmers, triggering widespread air pollution during winters in Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring states.
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The state agriculture department has, in fact, proposed funding carriage of stubble to shelter homes meant for stray cattle. Additional chief secretary (agriculture) Devesh Chaturvedi in a communique sent to district authorities has said, funds would be availed from the state finance commission. As per an estimate, UP is the highest producer of agricultural residues (40 MT) followed by Maharashtra (31 MT) and Punjab (28 MT).
UP government's move comes close on heels of the Punjab government's proposal last month to plough paddy crop residue into animal fodder, especially cattle. The agriculturally rich north Indian state reportedly produces around 20 million tonnes of paddy straw.
According to a report prepared by ministry of agriculture and farmer welfare in 2019, stubble burning is rampant in Punjab, Haryana and UP.