Context :
Magnitude
of stubble problem grows larger: Govt review /
ET / 01 Oct 2022
Problem :
"The
state government had not planned adequately for management of almost 5.75 mt of stubble which is a huge gap and is likely to have
an adverse impact on the air quality in Delhi and NCR region," the minister said at the
review
The
picture is, however, equally worrying in Haryana as well, data accessed by ET
shows.
Total
paddy stubble generation from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh (UP) is expected to touch 27.66 mt in 2022-23 against 26.29 mt in 2021-22, as per data shared by state governments in
recent reviews held by the environment ministry, ET has gathered.
This
is 1.37 mt higher than the stubble
generated in 2021.
It
has also been estimated that stubble management plans will probably address up to 20.55 mt of stubble generated in the key
states of Punjab and Haryana through both in-situ
and ex-situ methods.
About
17.70 mt of stubble was managed in the two states last year.
And here is a FOREIGN SOLUTION :
MIT:
Processing waste biomass to reduce airborne emissions //
30 Sept 2022
Massachusetts Instite of Technoloy spinoff Takachar has developed a means of converting agricultural waste into clean-burning fuel - winning the Earthshot Prize, the institution announced.
To prepare fields for planting, farmers often burn corn
stalks, rice husks, hay, straw and other waste left behind from the previous harvest. In
many places, the practice creates huge seasonal clouds of smog, contributing to
air pollution that the World Health Organisation said results in the
death of seven million people globally each year.
Annually, $120 billion worth of
crop and forest residues
are burned in the open worldwide — a major waste of resources in an
energy-starved world, said Kevin Kung SM ’13,
PhD ’17. Kung is working to transform this waste biomass into marketable products — and capitalise on a
billion-dollar global market — through his MIT spinoff company, Takachar.
Founded in 2015, Takachar develops ,
# small-scale, low-cost, portable equipment
# to convert waste biomass into solid fuel
# using a variety of thermochemical
treatments,
# including one known as oxygen-lean torrefaction.
The technology emerged from Kung’s PhD project in the lab of Ahmed Ghoniem, the Ronald
C. Crane (1972) Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT.
Biomass fuels, including wood, peat and animal
dung, are a major source of carbon emissions — but billions of people rely on such fuels for cooking,
heating and other household needs.
“Currently, burning biomass generates 10% of the primary energy
used worldwide, and the process is used largely in rural, energy-poor communities. We’re not going to
change that overnight. There are places with no other sources of energy,” Ghoniem said.
What Takachar’s technology provides is a way to use biomass more
cleanly and efficiently by,
# concentrating the fuel and
# eliminating contaminants such as moisture and
dirt, thus
# creating a “clean-burning” fuel — one that
generates less smoke.
“In rural communities where biomass is used extensively as a primary
energy source, torrefaction will
address air pollution head-on,” Ghoniem said.
Thermochemical treatment densifies biomass at elevated
temperatures, converting plant materials that are typically loose, wet and
bulky into compact
charcoal.
Centralised processing plants exist, but collection and transportation
present major barriers to utilisation, Kung said.
Takachar’s solution moves processing into the field
- to date, Takachar has worked with about 5,500 farmers to process 9,000 metric
tons of crops.
Takachar estimated its technology has the potential
to reduce carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by gigatons per year at scale.
(“Carbon dioxide equivalent” is a measure used to gauge global warming
potential.)
In recognition, in 2021 Takachar won the first-ever
Earthshot Prize in the clean air category, a £1 million prize funded by Prince
William and Princess Kate’s Royal Foundation.
===================================================
And here is a LOCAL SOLUTION ( from my email to Shri Sisodiaji ) :
Dear
Sisodiaji : Here is Stubble Pollution Solution ………. [ 10 Mar 2022 ]
Last evening, while interviewing you on
NDTV, Pronoy Roy asked you :
“ So far you have been complaining about
air pollution that people of Delhi suffer due to farmers in Punjab burning
stubble ( crop residue ). Now that you will govern Punjab, how do you plan to
stop stubble burning ? “
Your politically correct answer was :
“ We will think about it. We
will find a satisfactory solution “
Dear Sisodiaji :
Following is a “ satisfactory solution “ costing less than Rs 600 crores ( a tiny
fraction of your poll promises )
And you can easily implement it in 3
months !
More than 4 years ago, I sent following e-mail to all Cabinet Ministers / State
Chief Ministers :
Ø Smog in Brain ?.....................
[ 10 Nov 2017 ]
Where I suggested :
million tonnes of stubble are
# Harvesters skim from the top and leave 80 % of the paddy plant –
6” to 8” long – on the field
paddy, they burn the straw , or
money
# As per Manjeet Singh Makkar ( Head , Farm Machinery and Power
Engineering
Department ,
are three solutions :
# Straw Chopper – cum- Spreader
This machine chops the stubble and mixes it in the soil either with the
help of
#
Straw Management System and a “ Happy Seeder “
It cuts the straw into small pieces and scatters it evenly. Next, a Happy
Seeder
straw over the area
The
# A Baler , which bales the straw .
These can be
used in power plants or card-board factories
“ Given a choice between a box of match-sticks and machinery worth Rs 2
lakhs , what will you choose ? "
Now consider this :
Between
harvesting paddy and sowing wheat, there is a 15 day window
· One
pair of machines ( described above ) can work 6 / 7 acres/day
· That
is 100 acres in 15 days ( with one pair )
· Paddy
Stalk needs to be removed from 30 lakh acres, in 15 days
· That
means , Punjab needs 30,000 pairs of machines ( for 15 days )
· One
pair costs Rs 2 lakhs
· So
, 30,000 pairs will cost Rs
60,000 lakhs ( Rs 600 crores )
· In Maharashtra , nearly 80 lakh farmers will get farm-loan waiver
amounting
to Rs 34,000 crores
· In
UP , 12 lakh farmers got farm-loan waiver of Rs 36,000 crore
· Who can believe that Shri Amrinder Singhji ( CM – Punjab ) cannot find Rs
600 crore to create
machines and let farmers rent out @ Rs 10 / day ?
And , through this method ( # 1 above ) , can we assure the farmers that
their,
· # soil
will become more FERTILE
as the farmers of Maharashtra are discovering , using SRT farming
method developed
I urge Shri Amrinder Singhji to read the
following :
“ A
Maharashtra Farmer’s AgriTech Holds Promise for Delhi’s Pollution Woes “
And can someone figure out how to combine
this [ SRT ] with the
following
technology from China to provide a powerful incentive to
the Punjab farmers to
stop burning paddy stalk ?
Garbage is Green Gold { 3G } [ 10 Sept 2016 ]
Dear
Shri Sisodiaji [ msisodia.delhi@gov.in ]
Shri Bhagwant Mannji [ bhagwant.mann@sansad.nic.in / bhagwantmann@gmail.com ]
Shri Raghav Chadhaji [ raghavchadha111188@gamil.com ]
I hope that this solution is adopted in
the very first meeting of the new AAP government in Punjab
With regards,
Hemen Parekh
hcp@RecruitGuru.com / 11 Oct 2022
===================================================
Related Readings :
Amrinder Singhji has no excuse ! ………………………[ 20 Nov 2017 ]
Thank You , Captain Amrinder Singhji ……………… [ 19 Oct 2018 ]
Making Water from Air ?................................. [ 26 Oct 2018 ]
A Grass-Root Revolution ……………………………………….[ 11 Mar 2019 ]
Legislation or No legislation ! ………………………………..[ 06 Nov 2019 ]
Necessity is the Mother of Invention …………………….[ 16 Nov 2019 ]
Delhi worse than hell ? ………………………………………….[ 28 Nov 2019 ]
Stubble Blame Game…………………………………………… [ 14 Nov 2021 ]
Using Stubble to produce Power ? Takes 4 Years ? [ 03 Jan 2022 ]
Extract :
As farmers harvest paddy and prepared their fields for rabi crops, Punjab authorities has ready an intensive month-long motion plan to stop stubble burning, which contributes to pollution in northern India. At the core of the motion plan is behavioural change of Punjab farmers who’ve been shunning mechanisation of harvesting and crop residue administration. Speaking to ET, Punjab Pollution Control Board member secretary Karunesh Garg stated,
“About 50% of the paddy straw generated is treated in-situ, which means the farmers burn them.
Punjab agriculture department and the pollution control board are running an intensive campaign to discourage farmers from burning the stubble. We are increasing awareness that machines are available for them to use.
” There are 90,000 crop residue administration machines out there for the farmers.
“The usage is very low. Just about 30-35% machines were used till the last harvest season in March-April,” stated Garg including, “If we are able to improve this utilization to 50%, it should make a giant distinction in stubble burning incidents.”
The Punjab authorities has gone down to the micro-level and has launched iKhet app which maps these machines to farmers and reveals availability.
The agriculture division has recognized hotspots on the idea of fireside incidence and has elevated the allocation of machines in these areas.
However, the quantum of the stubble drawback has solely elevated.
As per PPCB statistics, paddy straw generated final 12 months was about 18 million tonnes however with space below rice cultivation growing additional, about 19.99 million tonnes of paddy straw is probably going to be generated this season.
“About 50% of the paddy straw is treated in-situ, which is about 9 million tonnes is either burnt or mechanically treated using machines in the field.
About 2.5 m tonnes is used as fodder.
The remaining is an opportunity for ex-sity usage – which includes waste to energy or in industries,” stated Garg.
However, final 12 months, Punjab may use barely 1.2 MT ex-situ.
The goal this 12 months is sort of doubled to 2.1 MT.
Last 12 months, industrial boilers used 0.3 MT and this 12 months, about 0.7 MT of paddy straw is probably going to be despatched to boilers.
There had been tie-ups with 5 industries final 12 months, which has one up to 12 this 12 months,” stated Garg.
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