The Centre on Thursday directed state-run NTPC, formerly known as the National Thermal Power Corporation, to mix crop residue with coal to generate power in all its plants, The Hindu reported. The move is an attempt to curb stubble burning by farmers in Haryana and Punjab, one of the contributing factors to the pollution in Delhi.
“The Power Ministry has directed the NTPC to mix straw/crop residue pellets with coal, up to 10%, for power generation in all of its thermal power plants,” Minister of State for Power RK Singh said on the sidelines of a function in New Delhi on Thursday. He added that farmers could earn Rs 5,500 per tonne of crop residue they sell.
Singh said the ministry is setting up the infrastructure needed to source crop residue from farmers, and that the NTPC will soon begin to float tenders. He said the Power Ministry was in talks with state governments to make it mandatory to source 10% of their fuel from straw or crop residue for all factories.
However, the NTPC told the National Green Tribunal on Thursday that there are not too many power plants that can convert farm stubble to agricultural residue, The Indian Express reported. The green court then asked the thermal power corporation how much crop residue could be used as raw material along with coal in power plants across Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
The court also asked the governments of Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to consider setting up plants to convert stubble to agricultural residue in places where crop burning is rampant.
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