New Delhi, September 21: Delhi government has formed 11 teams to spray the Pusa bio-decomposer on agricultural fields to prevent stubble burning that contributes to air pollution during winter, Development Minister Gopal Rai said on Thursday. The minister, in a meeting with the Agriculture Department officers, directed them to conduct a survey of the fields and also launch an awareness campaign.

The government will spray the chemical on all the agricultural fields in the rural pockets of Delhi where paddy is sown. The Pusa bio-decomposer, developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) here, is a microbial solution that can turn paddy straw into manure in 15-20 days. Delhi Air Pollution: Arvind Kejriwal Government to Deploy Vans at Schools to Monitor Air Quality Parameters.

"In order to solve the problem of pollution occurring in the winter season, the government is firming up its winter action plan. All the departments have been assigned different responsibilities on 15 focus points," Rai said. The Agriculture Department has started collecting information from farmers through forms regarding the spraying of the bio-decomposer, said a statement from the Development Department.

This form includes details of the farmer, acres of the land to be sprayed, and the time of harvesting, it said. Farmers should also be informed about the date of spraying so that arrangements can be made accordingly, the minister said.

Paddy is cultivated only in some parts of Delhi. Last year, free spraying of bio-decomposers was done by the government to check pollution from stubble burning in Delhi, he said. Bio-decomposer spray had a very positive result as the stubble was thawed and there was also an increase in the fertility of the fields. Delhi Air Pollution: AAP Govt to Relocate Some Air Quality Monitoring Stations to Give 'Real Picture' of Situation.

The minister, however, pointed out that this time farmers have a problem at hand as the time period between harvesting of paddy crop and sowing of wheat is short. The government has started preparation for spraying the bio-decomposer so that there is no delay in the whole exercise and the farmers can get better results, he added.

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