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.
