Paddy Straw Utilisation for Power Generation in Punjab Constraints and Policy Implications

Efficient management of agricultural residue in North-west region of India is a tedious process due to multiplicity of factors. Punjab is one of the north-western states, struggling with the issue of crop residue management. 1.5 per cent of the total cultivable land in India comes under the region of Punjab. Paddy is one of the major crops being produced in the state and its increased production has led to generation of residue in the form of straw and husk. The agricultural residue is not a waste and can bring multifaceted benefits to the environment and farmers. Paddy residue has a huge potential of biomass energy and can be utilized by biomass power plants to generate electricity. Although, these potential benefits can not be realised due lack of feasible alternatives and awareness. This paper focuses on the complexity of factors leading to crop residue burning by the farmers and methods to manage crop residue. It also assesses the availability of surplus biomass in Punjab. It was found that total surplus residue production in the eight districts was 24.4 lakh ton for the year 2020-21. The surplus residue has potential to generate 300 megawatts of electricity. The use of rice residue and its suitability for power generation can be seen as a solution to manage crop residue efficiently and bring down the incidents of stubble burning in Punjab. There are constraints in the way of efficient processing of residue for power generation. These constraints need to be addressed followed by government policy interventions for successful and sustainable use of agriculture biomass in the state.