(a) the provisions undertaken by the Government to rectify the issue of extensive burning of paddy and utilize it for increasing fertility of soil;
(b) whether the Government has signed any LoU or MoU with some international/national chemical companies to convert the residue into efficient usage of it through mixing it in the soil through fixation and microorganism enhancing techniques; and (c) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
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(a) To support the efforts of the Governments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi to address air pollution and to subsidize machinery required for in-situ management of crop residue, a Central Sector Scheme on ‘Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi’ is being implemented from 2018-19. Under this scheme financial assistance @ 50% of the cost of machinery is provided to the farmers for purchase of crop residue management machinery and financial assistance @ 80% of the project cost is provided to the Cooperative Societies of Farmers, Farmers Producers Organization (FPOs), Registered Farmers Societies and Panchayats for establishment of Custom Hiring Centres of crop residue management machinery. During the period from 2018-19 to 2021-22, funds amounting to Rs. 2440.07 crores have been released for these States and more than 39000 Custom Hiring Centres(CHCs) have been established and more than 2.00 lakh crop residue management machines have been supplied to these CHCs and individual farmers of these four States.
Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi developed a bio-decomposer for accelerated decomposition of paddy straw to utilize it for increasing fertility of soil. The State Governments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi during 2020-21 have used this Pusa decomposer for paddy stubbles decomposition in more than 5.50 lakhs hectare area.
(b) & (c): The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has not signed any LoU or MoUwith any international/national chemical companies to convert the residue into efficient usage of it through mixing it in the soil through fixation and microorganism enhancing techniques.However, IARI New Delhi has licensed their Pusadecomposer technology for its manufacturing to Sanguine Seeds which is an Indian subsidiary of UPL.
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