Stubble to become ‘waste to wealth’ with the government’s effort
Lucknow| The news of pollution caused by stubble in the national capital Delhi in October-November remains in the headlines. But, on the contrary, due to the efforts of the state government, stubble is now becoming a source of energy and fertilizer and is implementing the saying of ‘price of mangoes and kernels also’. Stubble, which was considered a problem for farmers and the environment after harvesting crops, now became a wealth from waste in UP and started becoming a means of increasing the income, energy and production of farmers in the form of excellent compost. This is becoming possible from CBG (Compressed Bio Gas) plant. By supplying stubble for the CBG plant, farmers are becoming food providers as well as energy providers.
Fuel is being prepared from stubble in the CBG plant and stubble is being purchased from farmers as raw material to make fuel. Till last year, ten CBG plants were operational in Uttar Pradesh. At present UP is number one in the country in the production of CBG.
CBG is producing in 24 units. 93 units are under construction. In the coming time, their number in the state will increase to 100. In March 2024, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri has also announced this.
Due to the increasing trend of mechanization and non-availability of workers and cost of labor, crops are now harvested through combines only. After harvesting of paddy and wheat, the main Kharif and Rabi crops, it has been customary to burn the remains of these crops to prepare for the next crop. Due to this, especially after harvesting of paddy, burning of stubble for timely sowing of Rabi main crop wheat in October-November, environmental problems become serious in some areas due to moisture in the weather.
As per Uttar Pradesh State Bio Energy Policy 2022, provisions for various incentives have been made to agricultural waste based bio CNG, CBG units. The government intends to set up CBG plants in every district. In this sequence, on March 8 last year, Indian Oil’s CBG plant has been inaugurated in Dhuriapar, Gorakhpur.
After the Uttar Pradesh State Bioenergy Policy (2022), investors have shown significant interest in this sector. In view of this, the Yogi government hopes that in the next five years the production of biodiesel in Uttar Pradesh will also double from the current level. Out of the 26 projects that have come up in this regard, 21 have received in-principle approval from the Government. The government’s effort is to have 20 projects in circulation by 2025 next year.
