Centre looking to use stubble as biofuel

What is the news?

The Government of India has informed the Parliament that it is working on a plan to use stubble as a biofuel and manure as part of an effort to deal with stubble burning.

What are the steps the Government of India is taking on stubble burning?

Stubble burning has often been cited as a source of pollution in northern India.

To stop stubble burning, the government of India is working on a plan to use stubble as a biofuel and manure.

For this, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) had procured 3,000 tonnes of stubble to be used as biofuel and would study the results. Further, about one lakh acres of manure and compost from stubble were also used in Punjab and Haryana.

Moreover, to stop farmers from getting defamed due to stubble burning, the Government has completely “decriminalised” stubble burning in the Air Quality Commission Act.

Other News Covered in the Article

Opposition Questions India’s Net Zero target by 2070: At the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, the Indian Prime Minister had announced India would achieve net-zero emissions by 2070.

However, opposition leaders asked the Government to provide credible research on how it reached the decision of announcing the net-zero emissions target by 2070.

Source: This post is based on the article “Centre looking to use stubble as biofuel” published in The Hindu on 10^th Dec 2021.