Jalandhar: In a one-of-a-kind initiative, a company in Punjab is generating electricity from the hay produced as a by-product of farming. Green Planet Energy Pvt Ltd, a private company based in the Bir village in Jalandhar, produces over 6000 units of electricity every day. The project has proven beneficial for the villagers in many ways -- it not only generates electricity in a non-conventional yet eco-friendly way but also solves the problem of stubble burning in the nearby villages.
Thousands of farmers sell their straw to the company, which benefits them financially while also solving the problem of stubble burning which has led to other serious problems in the states of Haryana and Punjab. The hay the farmers would burn earlier -- creating severe pollution harmful to the environment and their own health -- is now being sold and used to generate a basic necessity.
As informed by Amandeep Singh, an official working at the plant, the farmers selling hay here are paid rs.167 per quintal for the straw. "30 to 40 percent of the price of the straw that the farmer brings here is paid in advance. The balance is paid to him in installments within 6 months. We sell this electricity to the government at the rate of 7 Rs 95 paise," the official said. The plant has also created employment opportunities for the villagers staying in the vicinity of the plant location. The plant is under operation 24/7 with around 150 workers there operating in shifts.
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The power plant was commissioned in 2013 and got into operation in 2018. "In the initial days of production, we processed waste of other crops like Maize and Sorghum to generate electricity. But now we are including all sorts of straw that goes to waste after the harvest season. We are receiving good responses from the farmers. The amount of straw we buy from them has seen a considerable rise over the last year -- we went to receiving 45,000 tons of straw this year compared to the 23,000 tons that we received last year," informed Singh.
He further informed that the power plant has a current capacity of 60 thousand tons of straw. "With the amount of electricity the power plant generates, we can easily meet the requirement of as many as 5 villages for around 18 years," he added. He also informed that apart from Jalandhar where the main plant is located, 13 such power plants generating electricity from straw are set up in other places in Punjab. He however said that the initiative has not received a satisfactory response from the government. "If the Indian government pays attention to these power plants, the problem of electricity in Punjab will soon be solved. along with this, the burning of stubble by the farmers will also be solved.
