Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Aims to tackle menace of Stubble Burning.
Project:
- It is a regional project approved under NAFCC
- The project aims to mitigate climate change impacts and enhance adaptive capacity and counter adverse environmental impacts arising from stubble burning.
- It will be implemented following a phased approach.
- Based upon performance in first phase, its scope will be enhanced and more activities will be supported subsequently.
- The first phase of the project was approved for Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan at cost of approximately Rs. 100 crore.
- It will leverage approximately three times the approved amount with contribution from States as well as farmers.
- Initially, awareness generation and capacity building activities will be undertaken to encourage farmers to adopt alternate practices which will help them to diversify livelihood options and enhance income.
- Moreover, slew of technological interventions will be also undertaken for timely management of crop residue in addition to effective utilisation of existing machineries.
- Under this project, implementable and sustainable entrepreneurship models will be created in rural areas through upscaling successful initiatives and innovative ideas.
Stubble Burning:
- The straw burning is age-old agricultural practice followed by farmers biannually by setting fire to their fields to clear the land of residue (straw) of one harvest and sow the next.
- The problem has intensifying over the years, with Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh being the major burning hotspots.
- The problem of open burning of agriculture has resulted in serious issues contributing towards global warming and environmental pollution.
- It also has an adverse impact on air quality, soil health and human health.
- The open field burning emits Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Carbon monoxide (CO) and Nitrous Oxide (NO) along with particulate matter.