Delhi minister calls for reduction in stubble burning

New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) Delhi Development Minister Gopal Rai during a meeting of Central and state Agriculture Ministers on Thursday called for reduction of stubble burning incidences.

In the meeting, held through video conferencing, issues related to stubble management were discussed.

Rai said that every year, Kejriwal government develops winter action plan based on various factors to address the issue of escalating pollution in Delhi. In this scenario, the stubble burning during the winter season also contributes significantly to the pollution problem.

"To address this issue promptly, our government annually provides free distribution of Pusa Bio-decomposer in the paddy fields, which has yielded highly positive outcomes. This has resulted in the decomposition of stubble and an increase in the fertility of the fields. However, we have seen that numerous incidents of stubble burning are also reported in our neighboring states. As a consequence, the pollution problem in Delhi worsens considerably during the winter season," Rai said.

He further claimed that as a result of the Winter Action Plan implemented by the Kejriwal government during the winter season, Delhi has registered a steady decline in the presence of PM 10 and PM 2.5.

He said that the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) has shown a decline in the number of the most hazardous category between 2016 and 2022, which was 26 in 2016, and has now dropped to a mere 6 in 2022. "This indicates that as a result of the ongoing measures taken within Delhi, there has been a 30 per cent reduction in pollution levels over the past 8 years."

Rai said that this year also the Delhi government will implement various action plans so that the pollution caused by stubble inside Delhi can be controlled.