Alternate Crop to Paddy is also a Need to Stem Air Pollution: Dr Bhure Lal

No.PR-116

November 16, 2018

New Delhi

ALTERNATE CROP TO PADDY IS ALSO A NEED TO STEM AIR POLLUTION: DR BHURE LAL

Chair, EPCA and Member, Supreme Court Monitoring Committee, Dr Bhure Lal on Friday advised agricultural universities and research institutions to devise technologies and processes for farmers in Punjab and Haryana and other similar landscapes so that alternate crops to paddy are sowed in such belts which are equally remunerative with least stubble residues and hardly contribute to any air pollution.

Addressing a Workshop on “Bulk utilization of Crop Residue for Economic and Environmental Sustainability” under aegis of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry here today, Dr Bhure Lal elaborated that with increasing salinity in the soil of Punjab, Haryana, UP, Himachal and Rajasthan, its productivity is getting ruined.

“Paddy which a water guzzling crop though remunerative it is for farmers of this belt need to grow and sow other crops that are equally remunerative and will cause virtually no pollution provided agricultural scientists and universities come out with such research as could transform the future of sowing pattern in aforesaid States”, pointed out Dr Bhure Lal.

He also came out with a suggestion that the paddy stubble could also be utilized for commercial applications with suitable technologies in place that could prove to be win-win for both farmers and industry including consumers.

However, the Chair, EPCA also emphasized that the paddy stubble should be converted into fertilizer within a time span of 25 days which can be merged into the soil for higher fertility. The current practice though it is prevalent not widely in Punjab and Haryana takes 45 days whereas the farmers would find it of use provided the time taken for the intended purpose is restricted within 25 days for which he appealed to the researchers and scientists to come out with a solution for this and also emphasized that crop residue can be converted into an assets as fertilizer.

Among other who also present on the occasion comprised Additional Commissioner, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, Mr V N Kale; Head, Division of Agriculture Engineering, Dr Indra Mani Mishra; Sr Principal Scientist & Head, CSIR-NEERI Delhi Zonal Centre, Dr S K Goyal; Chair, Water & Solid Waste Management Committee, PHDCCI, Mr Varun Gupta and its Secretary, Ms Kanchan Zutshi.

Ends.

Koteshwar Prasad Dobhal

Consultant (PR)