New Delhi, aug 3 (PTI) The problem of crop residue burning will be worked out by the Delhi government as a priority, Development Minister Gopal Rai said on Thursday and urged the national capital's neighbours to curb the farming practice.

He was speaking at an inter-ministerial meeting of state agricultural ministers on crop residue management which was held through video conferencing.

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The Delhi government will spray bio-decomposers free of cost in more than 5,000 acres of fields this year, said the minister said and added that demonstration of 50 agricultural machinery and 50 training camps for stubble management will be organised for farmers in five districts of Delhi.

"Every year, the Arvind Kejriwal government develops a winter action plan based on various factors to address the issue of escalating pollution in Delhi during the winter months," Rai said.

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The minister said that stubble burning during the winter contributes significantly to the problem of pollution. The Delhi government every year distributes bio-decomposers free of cost for dealing with paddy stubble and this has yielded positive outcomes, he said.

"However, we have seen that numerous incidents of stubble burning are also reported in our neighbouring states. As a consequence, the pollution problem in Delhi worsens considerably during the winter season," he said while requesting them to reduce this practice.

A collaborative action plan was discussed with the agriculture ministers of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to ensure effective stubble waste management not only in Delhi but also in other states, Rai said in a statement.

He said that the Kejriwal government will ensure sprinkling of bio-decomposer solution on more than 5,000 acres of fields in Delhi. Around 2,500 big hoardings will be put up at all prominent places to create awareness among farmers, the minister said.

Rai said in the coming days, the problem of stubble burning will be worked out by the Delhi government as a priority and added "we will request the governments of neighbouring states to collaborate with us and embrace measures against pollution so that we can work together to manage pollution," he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)