Delhi received over 800 applications for bio-decomposer use: CM

New Delhi: Lauding the success of the Pusa Institute made bio-decomposer, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that the Delhi government has received 844 applications from farmers for sprinkling the naturally made liquid decomposer.

"Earlier we tried this bio-decomposer on 19.5 acre of land. This time we sampled it on 42 acre farm land. Post its success and third-party audit report by WAPCOS, we have received 844 applications by farmers who want this bio-decomposer to be sprinkled on their farm land. We urge Delhi's neighbouring states to use this method too, as finally a cure to stubble burning has been found," Kejriwal said in his address after observing the centralised bio-decomposer system set up to prevent stubble burning in the capital.

The bio-decomposer which was sampled in 2020 will be sprinkled in the fields this October and November -- a time when farmers start preparing their land for the Rabi crops and in order to do so, they burn the stubble to get rid of the crop residue.

The final mixture will comprise of a bio-decomposer capsule mixed with chickpea flour (besan) and jaggery (gur). "For every 25 litres of ghol (mixture), 20 bio-decomposer capsules will be used which will get prepared in 12 days," Dhoom Singh, Extension Officer, Agriculture, told IANS.

As per the WAPCOS - a Union government undertaking - report, 90 per cent of the surveyed farmers said stubble in their farm land decomposed within 15-20 days and their fields were ready for the next season's crop.

"Organic carbon in their fields increased by 40 per cent after the use of this new bio-decomposer as the crop residue became manure. The amount of nitrogen, too, increased by 24 per cent and good bacteria and fungus increased by 7 per cent and 3 per cent, respectively. Other than that the soil quality was so enhanced that the germination of wheat crop increased by 17-20 per cent," Kejriwal had told the media while announcing the report results on September 13.

Recently, the Commission for Air Quality Management has said the governments of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh too can use this bio-decomposer.

"The Commission has been informed that Pusa bio-decomposer is planned for application in six lakh acres in UP, one lakh acres in Haryana, 7,413 acres in Punjab and 4,000 acres in Delhi," the central commission said in a statement.