To keep Delhi environment clean and pollution free during winter, the Centre would provide Rs 575.18 crore to Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to buy 55,622 stubble machines to farmers of these States.
The move is expected to go a long way in tackling air pollution as stubble burning is identified as one of the key problem areas, especially during the post-harvest season of October-November. The Centre’s decision could take care of in situ stubble burning on 64.21 lakh hectare.
The Centre will provide funds to buy state-of-the-art machines, including happy seeder, paddy straw chopper/cutter, mulcher, RMB plough, shrub cutter, zero till drill, super straw management system on combine harvesters, rotary slasher and rotavator.
Through this Centrally-sponsored scheme, the Government will assist individual farmers, cooperative societies, farmer producer organisations (FPOs), Self Help Groups (SHGs), private entrepreneurs and registered groups of women farmers.
Sources in the Agriculture Ministry said Punjab would be given over Rs 269 crore to buy 37,500 agro machines to control in situ crop residue burning of 36.60 lakh hectare in 22 districts. Besides, the Punjab Government has also decided to provide subsidy worth Rs 395 crore from its own sources, in the current fiscal, for the purchase of 28,641 agro-machines to farmers for the management of paddy residue. Subsidy ranging from 50 per cent to 80 per cent is being provided to the farmers under the scheme. This will be part of the Rs 665 crore subsidy announced by the Amarinder Singh Government for 2018-19 and 2019-20.
The remaining amount of Rs 270 crore would be utilised during the next financial year. While around 12,000 machines are being subsidised at 50 per cent for individual farmers. Beside, another 5,280 agro-machines are being provided to 514 farmer groups and 16,655 agro-machines to 3,547 Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) at a subsidy of 80 per cent to establish Farm Machinery Banks (FMBs) to be used as Custom Hiring Centres.
For Haryana, the Centre would give Rs 138 crore to buy 16,102 agro machines to manage 18.19 lakh hectare in 20 districts. Besides, the Haryana Government will also spend Rs 215 crore on setting up custom hiring centres (CHCs) across the State. According to action plan prepared by the Haryana Government, nearly 900 such centres will come up in 18 districts. Out of 900, a maximum of 120 of these CHCs will come up in Karnal, which is also Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar’s constituency. This will be followed by 112 in Kaithal, 100 in Kurukshetra, 90 in Jind, 60 each in Sonepat, Ambala and Yamunanagar, 50 each in Fatehabad, Sirsa and Panipat, 40 in Jhajjar, 30 each in Rohtak and Bhiwani, 25 in Palwal, 10 in Hisar, five each in Rewari and Faridabad and three in Panchkula.
Similarly, Uttar Pradesh will get Rs 148 crore to buy 12,020 agri machines to control stubble burning of 12 lakh hectare in 71 districts.
The Narendra Modi Government has approved of Rs 1,151 crore Central fund to control stubble burning causing pollution in four States.
Of these, Rs 591 crore will be spent in next fiscal while the remaining Rs 560 crore will be meant for assisting stakeholders in 2019-20. The fund will primarily be used to subsidise machinery required for in-situ management of the crop residue.
A parliamentary panel has recently also commented that the air pollution in Delhi and its neighbouring cities has not improved since last year as the practice of stubble burning continues despite a ban by the neighbouring states. The committee expressed its strong reservations towards the failure of these State Governments in implementing the statutory ban on stubble burning.
“It is further worrisome to note that despite the statutory ban imposed by these States on the crop residue burning, many such instances have been brought to the notice of the Committee from these States. Satellites images have also showed that paddy burning in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh had increased after Diwali during the year 2017 adding to the problem of air pollution in Delhi and NCR,” it said.