In an initiative to cut down stubble burning and reduce environmental pollution, Punjab chief minister (CM) Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday virtually inaugurated the country’s first-of-its-kind paddy straw-based Briquetting Plant of 100 tons per day capacity in Patiala.
The plant has been set up at village Kulburchan in Patiala district, at a capital cost of ₹5.50 crore by Punjab State Council for Science & Technology (PSCST) in collaboration with Private Partner M/s. Punjab Renewable Energy Systems Pvt. Ltd, with the support of Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India under the Climate Change Action Programme.
Paddy straw from around 40 villages in the plants’ vicinity will be converted to green fuel. The plant will utilise 45,000 ton paddy straw and would help replace fossil fuel in industries, thus resulting in carbon footprint reduction to the tune of 78,000 ton CO2.
The CM said the new technology will check environmental pollution through utilisation of paddy straw and also enable farmers, especially small farmers, earn extra income from sale of paddy stubble.
Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan said Punjab generates huge quantities of agri-residue and while wheat straw gets consumed as fodder, management of paddy straw is major challenge for the state. She said that the state is also promoting in-situ management of paddy straw through distribution of crop residue management machines to the farmers.
Mahajan disclosed that 11 biomass based power plants have already been set up in the state. The first bio-CNG plant of about 33 ton per day capacity would be operational in March, 2021, she added.
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