Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today urged the Centre to ask the neighbouring states to use the Pusa Institute of Technology-developed bio-decomposer to prevent stubble burning which leads to the pollution level in the national capital becoming severe in the winter months every year.

Air pollution in Delhi has been found to be very severe between 10 October and November-end every year because of stubble-burning in the city’s neighbourhood, he pointed out.

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Addressing an online press conference, Kejriwal claimed that the Delhi government got the bio-decomposer sprinkled in Delhi’s 39 villages free of cost last year. “The villagers are very happy. They have told Delhi government officials that the use of bio-decomposer resulted in the paddy stubble in their fields getting decomposed, turning their fields better for the sowing of the next crop —- wheat.

The stubble got transformed into a natural fertiliser. The content of organic carbon rose by 40 per cent, the beneficial bacteria increased seven times, the fungal content increased three times. There was much improvement in the overall quality of their fields.”

Kejriwal said the Pusa bio-decomposer is very cheap. It can be easily distributed to farmers in the neighbouring states so that the problem of stubble-burning can be handled in a beneficial manner. These states should learn from Delhi’s experience. Now there is no need to burn paddy stubble which is left in the fields after the harvesting of the paddy crop.

Delhi has been the worst victim of the practice of stubble burning by farmers. This has been leading to the city’s air quality deteriorating to a very severe level in the winters. This situation can come to an end with the use of the Pusa bio-decomposer.

Kejriwal added, “Indulging in blame game will not help. I will meet the Central Environment Minister in a day or two. The Central government’s Air Quality Commission has got an audit done by another Central agency. Its audit report is very encouraging. It has been found that at least 90 per cent farmers have told the audit agency that they were very happy with the use of the bio-decomposer.”