Air pollution: Delhi, Punjab join hands to curb stubble burning in harvest season

Delhi and Punjab governments, both led by the Aam Aadmi Party, have joined hands to curb stubble burning this year in the upcoming harvest season. Under the plan, pusa bio decomposer will be sprayed on stubble following which the crop residue gets mixed in the soil, hence the farmers will not need to burn the crop residue.

Earlier, they had proposed to give a cash subsidy of Rs 2,500 per acre -- Rs 1,500 by the Centre and the rest equally borne by the two states -- to farmers for not burning stubble. However, the Centre turned down the proposal.

Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana after the harvest is one of the major reasons for an alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November every year.

Punjab gears up to fight stubble burning

Punjab government has prepared an elaborate plan involving a massive awareness drive, distribution of thousands of crop residue management machines and engaging students and religious places to fight paddy stubble burning during the upcoming harvest season.

"We are launching a massive awareness drive in villages to motivate farmers not to burn paddy stubble. It will involve 2,800 camps in villages across the state to dissuade farmers from burning the crop residue," Punjab Agriculture Director Gurwinder Singh said.

Punjab generates around 180 lakh tonnes of paddy straw annually. Farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue so that the field is ready for the next Rabi crop (wheat), given the short window between the two crops.

Delhi pollution

With pollution level in Delhi shooting up during the winter months, the issue of stubble burning often led to a blame game between the Delhi government and the governments of Haryana and Punjab.

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Fire incidents in Punjab

Punjab recorded 71,304 such fire incidents in 2021, 76,590 in 2020, 55,210 in 2019 and 50,590 in 2018 with many districts including Sangrur, Mansa, Bathinda and Amritsar witnessing a large number of such incidents.

Farm experts rope in  

Farm experts will also be roped in and people will be told about the farmers who have not been burning paddy and getting good yield.

"College students studying agriculture will also be involved in sending across a message against burning residue in villages. Rallies by school students in rural areas will be organised to motivate farmers not to set fields on fire," said Singh.

Mobile vans will be rolled out in villages with a message of stubble management, he said, adding daily announcements against the burning of residue have also been planned from gurdwaras, temples and common places.

Besides, the Punjab government has set a target to distribute 32,100 crop residue management machines, taking their total number to 1,22,522, Singh said.

The subsidised machines will be given to farmers under the centrally sponsored in-situ management (mixing crop residue in soil) of paddy stubble scheme.

(With inputs from PTI)