To douse the burning issue of stubble burning in Punjab, the State Government has joined hands with the Petroleum Conservation Research Association — the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas organisation — to educate the farmers regarding its ill effects through specially-designed Information Education and Communication (IEC) vans.
The Government is making consistent efforts to create awareness amongst the state farmers about the ill-effects of crop residue burning, especially the paddy straw.
As a part of the awareness campaign, the Agriculture Department will be operating two suitably-designed vans in the interiors of the state for the purpose.
The vans, flagged off on Monday by the state Additional Chief Secretary (Development) MP Singh, will operate from September to November showing videos or short clips on the management techniques, distributing literature in all the districts and all blocks of the State.
The State Agriculture Department officers will also accompany the vans and make the farmers aware of the management options for crop residue.
Singh said: “The State Government is also organising camps to sensitise the people or farmers about management options for residue. Efforts are being made to provide the various residue management implements on subsidy to the farmers.”
At the same time, he also appealed to the farmers not to burn the paddy straw in the ensuing harvesting season given its harmful effects on the environment, human and animal health.
A Government spokesperson said the State Agriculture Department has already sanctioned applications of farmers or have provided 210 Happy Seeders, 383 paddy straw chopper shredder or mulcher, 119 reversible hydraulic MB plough for subsidy at 50 per cent of the cost.
As many as 150 baler and 109 rakes are also being provided on subsidy. Subsidy has also been announced at the rate of Rs 50,000 on Super SMS that would be given to combine machine operators provided that it is as per the design of Punjab Agricultural University, ludhiana, said the spokesperson.
Apart from this, the Agriculture Department has organised 2472 training and awareness camps at village, block and district levels, during the current year up to August 2017. The Government is trying its best to motivate farmers not to burn paddy straw, said the spokesperson.