Why this matters for Delhi
Delhi's air quality crashes every October — November when paddy stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and Western UP combines with temperature inversion. While Delhi's own paddy area is small, the GNCT government has taken an exemplar position — operating a free PUSA bio-decomposer distribution + spray programme for every paddy grower in Outer Delhi as a visible alternative to burning. The programme was launched in 2020 and Delhi was the first state to operationalise this at scale.
What is the PUSA bio-decomposer
Developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI, Pusa, New Delhi), the PUSA Bio-Decomposer is a consortium of 4 fungal strains that accelerate the natural decomposition of paddy straw. Capsules are mixed with jaggery + water (per IARI protocol) and sprayed on standing stubble; the microbes colonise the residue and decompose it in approximately 20 — 25 days, returning organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus back to the soil — avoiding both the air-quality damage of burning and the longer-term soil-degradation costs.
How the programme works
- Free capsules: IARI supplies capsules to the GNCT Delhi Agriculture Department on a no-cost basis for Delhi farmers.
- Free spray crew: Delhi Agriculture Department hires spray crews (typically empanelled FPOs / private contractors) that visit registered fields and spray free of cost. Per-acre cost (~₹1,000) is borne fully by the government.
- Pre-harvest registration: farmers register their fields in advance via agriculture.delhi.gov.in or with the block Agriculture Office; GPS-tagged spray scheduling.
- Convergence with CRM: the programme is part of the central Crop Residue Management (CRM) sub-mission; machinery subsidy for Happy Seeder, Super Seeder etc. is also available at 50% / 80% slabs for individual / CHC purchase.
How to register
- Before paddy harvest (early October), register your field via agriculture.delhi.gov.in or at the block Agriculture Office. Provide land record, Aadhaar, mobile number, GPS / village location.
- Spray crew is scheduled to visit within 7 — 10 days of paddy harvest, while stubble is still standing or has minimal handling.
- Spray is conducted in the early morning or evening for optimal microbial activity. Stubble decomposes in the field over the next 20 — 25 days, after which wheat sowing proceeds via zero-till or normal tillage.
Latest changes (2024 — 2026)
- 2024: Spray fleet expanded; FPO-routed spray crews covered Najafgarh, Narela, Bawana, Alipur belt comprehensively.
- 2025: Bio-decomposer capsule formulation upgraded by IARI; effectiveness slightly improved.
- 2025-26: Convergence with Happy Seeder / Super Seeder subsidy tightened — farmers choosing the bio-decomposer track get priority access to CRM machinery via local CHCs.
Common issues and how to resolve them
- Pre-spray rain: bio- decomposer is washed off if heavy rain hits within 24 hours of spray; re-spray is scheduled.
- Stubble removed before spray: farmers who already removed stubble manually don't benefit; programme works on standing or partly-standing residue only.
- Spray scheduling delay: high demand can cause delays of 7 — 14 days; pre- registration improves your slot.
- Wheat sowing delay: 20 — 25 day decomposition window means wheat sowing is delayed by ~10 — 15 days relative to burning; short-duration wheat varieties help recover the gap.
Why it works at the policy level
The Delhi programme operates at a small scale relative to Punjab + Haryana paddy area — but it has been a national policy showcase since 2020. The programme's evidence base informs the design of larger CRM rollouts in Punjab + Haryana, and the IARI capsule formulation has been standardised through this rollout. For Delhi farmers, the programme eliminates ~₹1,000/acre stubble-management cost and reduces fines and Air Quality Index enforcement risk.
How this stacks with other schemes
The complementary Delhi Mukhyamantri Kisan Yojana handles crop-loss compensation, diversification and electricity. The central SMAM covers Happy Seeder / Super Seeder machinery subsidy. Punjab's parallel CRM scheme is the larger geographical counterpart. PM-KISAN and KCC-MISS run in standard form.
Related
- Delhi Mukhyamantri Kisan Yojana.
- SMAM (Happy Seeder / CRM machinery).
- Punjab Paddy Stubble Management (peer scheme).
- Delhi state guide.