Punjab: PPCB to raise paddy straw use by 1 MT at industrial boilers

In a move to curb the burning of paddy crop residue, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) had managed to get the industry shift towards the paddy straw-based industrial boilers from the existing coal-based boilers.

The PPCB has aimed to achieve one million tonnes of paddy straw more than last year at the industrial boilers.

The pollution board has fixed a target to get utilised 3.1 million tonne (MT) of paddy straw in the industrial boilers against the 2.1 MT last year.

PPCB chairman AP Vig said that as many as 18 industries located in various districts of Punjab — including Bathinda, Mohali, Patiala, Hoshiarpur, SAS Nagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Kapurthala and Muktsar — have boilers that are completely paddy straw-based that will consume only the stubble as its fuel. Around 9.87 lakh TPA of paddy straw will be utilised by these 18 industries, including a paper industry in Rupana village of Muktsar (2 lakh TPA), a distillers in Banur (2 lakh TPA) and paper industry in Bhanra village of Patiala (nearly 1.80 lakh TPA).

This article has been republished from The Times of India.