AMN / WEB DESK
Union Environment Ministry has said that the paddy straw generated in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh is expected to come down significantly this year. The total paddy straw generation is likely to come down by 1.31 million tonnes in Punjab, 0.8 million tonnes in Haryana and 0.09 million tonnes in the eight NCR districts of U.P.
The total quantity of straw generated by these states was 28.4 million tonnes last year which is now expected to come down to 26.21 million tonnes this year.
The total paddy area in Haryana, Punjab and eight NCR Districts of Uttar Pradesh have come down by 7.72 per cent during the current year as compared to last year. Similarly, total paddy straw generation from the non-basmati variety is likely to be reduced by 12.42 per cent during the current year as compared to the previous year.
Both, the Centre and the three State Governments have been taking measures to diversify crops as well as to reduce the use of PUSA-44 variety of paddy.
The Ministry said, the burning of paddy straw from the non-basmati variety of crops is the prime concern. Crop diversification and moving away from PUSA-44 variety with short duration High Yielding Varieties are part of the framework and action plan for control of stubble burning.
The Ministry said, the decrease in non-basmati variety is expected to be even higher. It added that the Commission for Air Quality Management through a comprehensive framework had directed the State Governments to promote short duration and early maturing varieties of crops since they can be managed quite efficiently and provide a much wider window for paddy straw management.
The Crop Diversification Programmes are also being implemented in the three states to divert the area of water-guzzling paddy to alternate crops.