[Answered] How Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) scheme can be useful in tackling India’s stubble-burning problem?

Stubble burning is a major problem in North India and every year it is in the news around winter. SATAT initiative aims to promote Compressed Biogas as an alternative, green transport fuel. Compressed Biogas (CBG) plants are proposed to be set up mainly through independent entrepreneurs.

Useful in tackling India’s stubble-burning problem:

• CBG produced at the plants will be transported through cascades of cylinders to the fuel station networks of OMCs for marketing as a green transport fuel alternative.
• The entrepreneurs would then be able to separately market the other by-products from these plants including bio-manure, carbon-dioxide to enhance returns on investment.
• This initiative is an ideal example of a ‘wealth from waste’ approach and circular economy.
• The slurry or fermented organic manure from the plant (CBG) will be useful as compost to replenish soils heavily depleted of organic matter, and reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers.
• The plant will also provide employment opportunities to rural youth in the large value chain, from paddy harvest, collection, baling, transport and handling of biomass and in the CBG plant.
• As straw from many other crops contains higher energy than paddy straw. This appears to be a first win-win initiative in the form of environmental benefits, renewable energy, value addition to the economy, farmers’ income and sustainability.
• This initiative is replicable and scalable across the country and can be a game changer for the rural economy. It would benefit both vehicle-users as well as farmers and entrepreneurs.

There is a need to build trust with farmers and to ensure that they are seen as partners and they should be provided necessary solutions like financial support to shift from paddy to other corps.