NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Tuesday started free spraying of Pusa bio-decomposer in agricultural fields to prevent stubble burning in the city. Prepared by scientists at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), the Pusa bio-decomposer is a microbial solution which can turn paddy straw into manure in 15-20 days. Environment Minister Gopal Rai, who sprayed the bio-decomposer in a field in Burari, said the spraying of the solution got delayed due to rains earlier this month.
The solution will be sprayed on 5,000 acres of basmati and non-basmati fields in the capital this year. The Pusa bio-decomposer was used on 4,300 acres of land belonging to 844 farmers in Delhi last year. In 2020, 310 farmers had used it on 1,935 acres of land.
The government has set up 21 teams to create awareness about the effectiveness of bio-decomposer and register farmers who want to use the solution in their fields. According to officials, spraying of bio-decomposer costs just Rs 30 per acre. In 2021, a third-party audit conducted to ascertain the impact of the microbial solution in Delhi showed that it was 95 per cent effective, following which Kejriwal had requested the Centre to distribute it free in neighbouring states. Along with unfavourable meteorological conditions, paddy burning in Punjab and Haryana is a major reason behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital.