Stubble as biofuel

Stubble as biofuel

Part of: Prelims and GS-III – Environment 

Context The Union Government is working on a plan to use stubble as a biofuel and manure as part of an effort to deal with stubble burning that was often cited as a source of pollution in northern India

What is Stubble Burning?

• Stubble burning is the act of setting fire to crop residue to remove them from the field to sow the next crop
• It is a traditional practice in Punjab and Haryana to clean off the rice chaff to prepare the fields for winter sowing
• It begins around October and peaks in November, coinciding with the withdrawal of southwest monsoon.
• On December 10, 2015, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had banned crop residue burning in the states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab

What are biofuels?

• Biofuels are liquid or gaseous fuels primarily produced from biomass.
• Can be used to replace or can be used in addition to diesel, petrol or other fossil fuels for transport, stationary, portable and other applications.