Chandigarh, Nov 3 Renewable energy company SAEL Industries on Tuesday said it began procuring 20 lakh tonnes of paddy straw for energy generation, providing an alternative to stubble burning and adding to pollution-control efforts ahead of the winter season.
SAEL Industries Ltd said it will carry out procurement in phases, and paddy straw will be converted into renewable energy at its 11 agri-waste-to-energy plants.
Burning of crop residue by farmers before sowing of wheat and other winter crops adds to air pollution across the northern part of the country.
According to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), Punjab has recorded 1,612 farm fire incidents between September and November, with Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Amritsar, Kapurthala and Sangrur among the districts reporting significant numbers of incidents.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality index slipped into the ‘very poor’ category as a thick layer of smog engulfed the national capital on Tuesday.
The CAQM has directed Punjab, Haryana and districts of Uttar Pradesh in the national capital region to implement action plans aimed at eliminating paddy stubble burning.
These include field-level monitoring, access to crop residue management machinery and greater utilisation of straw through biomass power, pellets, briquettes and other industrial applications.
SAEL Industries CEO and Executive Director Laxit Awla said paddy straw and other crop residues should no longer be viewed merely as seasonal waste but as resources with economic value.
The company said its procurement initiative would help farmers adopt better stubble management practices while creating opportunities for additional income and rural employment.
A survey by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) found that around 90 per cent of farmers disapproved of stubble burning.
However, the practice continues due to constraints related to machinery, labour, costs, information and the limited time available between paddy harvesting and wheat sowing.
Farmers generally have a 15-18 day window between harvesting paddy and sowing wheat, making timely collection and assured utilisation of crop residue critical to adopting alternatives to burning.
SAEL said its model connects farmers with local aggregators and collection teams to gather and transport paddy straw to its energy facilities.
The process is expected to ease the burden of clearing fields within the available timeframe while generating employment in straw collection, transportation, processing and plant operations.
SAEL Industries is an integrated renewable energy company with operations in solar power, solar module manufacturing and agri-waste-to-energy.
(PTI News)
