Smog: Haryana eyes 50 MW power from crop residue

As it confronts the problem of rising air pollution and smog, the Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana is looking at renewable energy plants to convert crop residue into electricity.
Renewable energy plants are being established for utilising crop residue and there is a plan to generate 50 MW electricity from them, according to a state government release.
In a meeting of a committee constituted to reduce pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR), chaired by Haryana Chief Secretary D S Dhesi here today, it also emerged that 2,955 cases of crop residue burning had come to light this year and 236 FIRs were registered, the statement said.

Compared to last year, the cases of crop residue burning are considerably less this year, it said.
The Manohar Lal Khattar government in the state will provide a subsidy of Rs 61 crore to farmers for optimum utilisation of crop residue by December 2017, it added.
In the meeting, officials of the agriculture department said that farmers were being encouraged not to burn crop residue.

Renewable energy plants are being set up for utilising the crop residue and there is a plan to generate 50MW electricity from these plants, the statement said.
The urban local bodies department informed that a plantation drive was being planned in Gurgaon and Faridabad, and plantation was being carried out on sectors of dividing roads.

The chief secretary directed the police commissioners of Gurgaon and Faridabad that the vehicles of people visiting shopping malls should be parked in the designated parking space and not on roads.
He also directed making pollution checking centres online. Dhesi said that these centres would be established at all petrol pumps in the state for which the deputy commissioner concerned would issue licenses.
The Haryana and Punjab governments have imposed a ban on burning paddy residue. The state authorities are providing subsidy on farm implements like happy seeder, rotavators and straw reapers for managing straw in a sustainable manner to stop the practice.

The problem of crop stubble burning has assumed alarming proportions as it leads to severe air pollution levels. Only, recently, large parts of north India including New Delhi suffered under a thick blanket of smog for several days.
Burning of paddy residue causes air pollution, smog and also lead to serious medical problems such as breathing issues, allergies and asthma attacks.
It causes emission of smoke and toxic gases such as carbondioxide, carbon monoxide, methane and nitrous oxide. It also leads to poor soil health as the phenomenon eliminates essential nutrients, experts said.