The Centre on Thursday approved a regional project under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change to incentivise farmers against stubble burning Delhi’s neighbouring states, a major cause of the toxic air pollution in the National Capital Region, IANS reported.
The first phase of the “Climate Resilience Building among Farmers through Crop Residue Management” project is estimated to cost approximately Rs 100 crore for the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
“Based upon the performance in the first phase, the scope could be enhanced and more activities can be supported subsequently,” Union Environment Secretary CK Mishra said, according to The Times of India.
The project aims to counter adverse environmental impacts that arise from stubble burning, the Environment Ministry said in a statement. The ministry will undertake several technological interventions for timely management of crop residue. “Implementable and sustainable entrepreneurship models will be created in rural areas through upscaling successful initiatives and innovative ideas,” the statement added.
Burning the stubble of paddy crops has been one of the primary causes of air pollution. It also led to the blanket of smog that enveloped the National Capital Region and parts of North India in November and December, and in the winter of 2016 as well. On November 22 this year, the green court had asked the Centre and the governments of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to come up with a solution to the problem.
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