Kohima Apr 22 PTI The Centres interlocutor for Naga peace talks A K Mishra Friday met the principal negotiator of NSCNIM Thuingaleng Muivah at Chumoukedima police complex here Friday This was the second meeting between Mishra and the octogenarian Muivah who was accompanied by about 11 senior NSCNIM leaders this week No detail about the meeting was shared with the media but a senior fucntionary of the outfit told PTI that there will be another round of talks between Mishra and a larger number of NSCNIM leaders again on Saturday Mishra who arrived in Nagaland on Monday for his second visit to the state since assuming office in September last year held an interaction with Naga National Political Groups NNPG a body of eight Naga organisations on Thursday The Centre has been holding separate talks with the NSCNIM since 1997 and the NNPG from 2017 It signed the Framework Agreement with NSCNIM on August 3 2015 and an Agreed Position with NNPG on November 17 2017 However no final solution to the vexed issue has been arrived at with NSCNIM sticking to its demand for a separate flag and constitution for the Nagas Mishra had met Muivah on Tuesday at Camp Hebron the NSCNIM headquarters near Dimapur Before leaving the state he will meet the state governments core committee on Naga political issue headed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and comprising Naga civil societies officials said Meanwhile the Nagaland Gaon Burah Federation NGBF an apex body of village chieftains have appealed for a solution to the protracted issue before the state election due early next year The appeal was made during the 30th general session of NGBF held at Phek Town on Thursday The body also resolved that if the situation demanded the NGBF would take up democratic agitations PTI NBS KK KK KK

New Delhi Sep 21 PTI The Centres air quality commission has directed all 11 thermal power plants within a 300-km radius of Delhi to co-fire biomass pellets with coal saying this can utilise millions of tonnes of biomass address the issue of stubble burning and reduce air pollutionPaddy straw burning is a matter of grave concern in the National Capital Region and its adjoining areas Ex-situ utilisation of paddy straw is an important strategy among various means to prevent and control its burning the Commission for Air Quality Management CAQM saidThe commission directs all the 11 thermal power plants within 300 km radius of Delhi to co-fire biomass based pellets torrefied pellets This will ensure ex-situ management of paddy straw reduction in air pollution and improvement of paddy straw utilisation as an economic resource it saidThe commission said it conducted extensive stakeholders consultations with the NTPC and other state and private power plant operators on the potential use of paddy stubbleNTPC based on extensive trials confirmed that it is technically feasible to co-fire biomass pellets up to 5-10 per cent in thermal power plants without any modification in the boilers the panel saidSuccess in trials conducted offers a huge opportunity for utilisation of biomass in thermal power plants it notedThe power plants have been asked to take up all steps to ensure that such co-firing begins at the earliest the panel addedThe first action-taken report in compliance of the direction should be submitted to the commission by September 25 and reports thereafter may be sent on a monthly basis it saidCo-firing has the potential of utilising millions of tonnes of biomass including paddy straw in thermal power plants addressing the issue of stubble burning reduction in air pollution and using straw as a resource the commission observedDifferent ex-situ options for paddy straw management include end products such as bio-gas bio-ethanol compost fodder applications in packaging and paper industry etcPaddy straw can be utilised in boilers of industrial units and also in much larger volumes for co-firing as fuel in coal-based thermal power plantsThe commission had earlier issued an advisory to Punjab Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for establishing a robust and continuous supply chain logistics for ex-situ utilisation of paddy strawPaddy straw burning in October and November is one of the major reasons behind high levels of air pollution in DelhiFarmers say there is a small window of 10-15 days between paddy harvesting and sowing of wheat and they burn stubble as it is a cheap and time-saving method to manage straw and prepare their fields for the next cropLast year the share of stubble burning in Delhis PM25 pollution level had risen to 40 per cent on November 1 PTI GVS IJT