Efforts on to create awareness against stubble burning in Punjab

Ludhiana, October 18, 2018: Efforts are on to create awareness against stubble burning in Punjab. What to talk of others even PAU VC has appealed to farmers to shun stubble burning stating that “straw burning leads to accidents, health hazards, soil health degradation and environmental pollution”. Ministry of Environment Officers and journos were also briefed on PAU’s stubble management initiatives recently. Even kisan melas are trying to create awareness on the issue. PAU VC APPEALS TO FARMERS TO SHUN STUBBLE BURNING Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), has appealed to the farmers of Punjab not to indulge in stubble burning and instead adopt straw management technologies, recommended by PAU. Straw burning leads to accidents, health hazards, soil health degradation and environmental pollution, he observed, saying that environment protection should be the first priority of every farmer. After paddy harvest, the window period for field preparation for the sowing of wheat, potato, peas and other vegetables is quite short, he pointed out. “Farmers adopt different ways for field preparation. Farmers have only 2-3 weeks to manage paddy straw and that is the reason, they indulge in residue burning which further results in severe air pollution,” he added. Dr Dhillon stated, “The University is very much alive to the issue of straw management and is making every effort to provide environmentally and economically sound solutions to the farmers. Farmers have been and are being equipped with the knowledge about straw management through extension articles, interactions, Kisan Melas, exhibitions and TV/Radio talks.” The straw left in the field after paddy harvest contains essential nutrients. About one tonne of paddy straw contains 400 kg of carbon, 7-8 kg of nitrogen, 2 kg of phosphorous, 15-20 kg of potassium and approximately one kg of sulphur, micronutrients. These nutrients are lost with stubble burning, he observed, while adding that this is the reason PAU is recommending straw incorporation in the soil. The PAU developed Super Straw Management System (SMS), attached with combiner harvester, is proving to be a boon for farmers as it cuts, chops and uniformly spreads loose straw while harvesting paddy, he said. The paddy straw is also incorporated in soil by using machines like chopper/mulcher and mould board plough, he informed. Paddy straw can be managed in the field by sowing wheat directly with Happy Seeder in combine harvested paddy fields, he advised. This leads to increased soil fertility, better weed management and good crop yield, he added. Paddy straw can also be collected by making bales from the field with the help of baler machine and used for other purposes like compost making, biochar making, mushroom cultivation, biogas, mulch in different crops, animal bedding, etc., he suggested. Dr Dhillon informed the Central government held several meetings with Punjab, Haryana and other state governments. “We requested Commission for Agriculture Cost and Prices to give bonus to farmers, as a result of which the Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments have been allocated Rs 1192 crore for residue management for two years. Out of this, Punjab has been allocated Rs 695 crore for two years and for the first year, Rs 395 crore has been released. About 50 to 80 per cent subsidy is being provided on straw management machinery to co-operative societies, farmers’ groups and individual farmers. Machines such as Super SMS, Happy Seeder, Mulcher, Cutter-cum-Spreader, Zero Tillage, Rotavator, etc. have been included,” he said. Dr Dhillon lauded the farmers who were making efforts to manage straw in their fields with the use of machinery. All-out efforts by all stakeholders can go a long way in protecting the environment and giving fruitful results, he added. MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT OFFICERS, JOURNOS BRIEFED ON PAU’S STUBBLE MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES A team from the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests accompanied by journalists from different media houses paid visit to the Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana on October 17. Dr Manjeet Singh, Head of the Department briefed the team about the machinery developed by the University for effective stubble management. He demonstrated how the PAU Super SMS attachment and the Happy Seeder are the best available solution for managing paddy straw. Divulging further details, Dr Singh apprised the media representatives about PAU’s initiatives towards generating awareness about shunning stubble burning which include training camps, dissemination of literature through print, electronic and social media and farmers field visits to places where stubble management has been successfully carried out through happy seeders and mulchers. Himank Kothiyal, Media Officer, Ministry of Environment shared that the visit to PAU was a part of the Government’s review of the ongoing stubble management efforts in the state. He noted the Varsity’s research and extension activities to stem the cases of stubble burning. The team would be visiting Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Samrala, after which they will tour the fields and speak to farmers about their opinion with regard to the yearly menace. KVK HOSHIARPUR ORGANIZES KISAN MELA ON PADDY RESIDUE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana under the directions of Govt. of India, have been advocating non-burning of paddy residue and popularization of paddy straw management techniques for avoiding environmental degradation for the benefit of the people in campaign mode. To make the farmers aware about the different paddy residue management technologies, the district level extension agency of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Bahowal, Hoshiarpur organized a Kisan Mela on on October 16. Major Amit Sareen, PCS, Assistant Commissioner (Grievances), Hoshiarpur was the chief guest and Dr. Gurmeet Singh Buttar, Additional Director of Extension Education, PAU, Ludhiana, presided over the function. Dr. Bhupinder Singh Basra, Retired Professor, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana was the special guest on this occasion. A large number of farmers, farmwomen and students participated in this Kisan Mela. At the outset, Dr. Maninder Singh Bons, Deputy Director (Training), KVK Hoshiarpur, welcomed the guests, farmers and farm women and informed that management of paddy residue is of utmost importance at this moment. He also highlighted the various activities being conducted by KVK Hoshiarpur regarding this campaign. Major Amit Sareen, PCS, Assistant Commissioner (Grievances), Hoshiarpur highlighted harmful effects of burning of paddy residue burning. He stressed upon the farmers to incorporate the paddy residue into the soil, which would improve the soil health and was eco friendly technology. Dr. Gurmeet Singh Buttar, Additional Director of Extension Education, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana sensitized the farmers regarding the effective utilization of natural resources and efficient management of crop residue for sustainable agriculture and safeguarding the environment. He also laid stress on need of custom hiring and cooperative basis for proper utilization of these machineries. Dr. Bhupinder Singh Basra, Retired Professor, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana persuaded the farmers to curtail the input cost in farming for more profitability of farm income. He advised the farmers to adopt the subsidiary occupations and adopt the integrated farming system approach. Dr. Naresh Kumar, Deputy Director, Department of Horticulture, Dr. Subhash Chander, Agriculture Officer, Garhshankar, Mrs. Inderjit Kaur, District Development Manager, NABARD, S. Manjit Singh, Assistant Director (Fisheries) and Dr. Balwinder Singh, Incharge, Centre of Excellence (Citrus), Khanoura also participated in the Mela and highlighted their departmental schemes. On this occasion, various technical lectures were organized for the benefit of the farmers/farmwomen. Er. Rupinder Chandel, Asstt. Prof. (Agril. Engg.), KVK, Jalandhar informed the farmers about the various in-situ residue management technologies for the effective management of paddy residue. He gave detailed information about the problems faced and their solutions, while working with in-situ paddy residue management machinery in the fields. KVK Hoshiarpur scientists, Dr. Arunbir Singh, Dr. Sukhwinder Singh Aulakh and Dr. Princy delivered technical lectures on animal husbandry, integrated nutrition gardening and nutritional requirement of rural women. Dr. Rakesh Kumar Sharma, scientist from D. R. Bhumbla Regional Research Centre, Ballowal Saunkhari, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, informed the farmers about the integrated pest management in rabi crops. Dr. Sumanjit Kaur, Incharge, M. S. Randhawa Fruit Research Station, Gangian, Dasuya shared technical knowledge about the cultivation practices in horticultural crops and Dr. Gurpartap Singh, District Extension Specialist (Seniormost), Farm Advisory Service Centre, Hoshiarpur discussed about the cultivation practices for rabi crops. Er. Ajaib Singh, Asstt. Prof. (Agril. Engg.), KVK, Hoshiarpur demonstrated in-situ paddy residue management machinery, viz. happy seeder, paddy straw chopper and reversible mould board plough for the farmers on this occasion. Different videos on in-situ paddy residue machinery and technologies were shown through exhibition van from Punjab Agricultural University for knowledge upgradation of the farmers. To create awareness about the harmful effects of paddy residue burning, a skit from the students of Gursewa Institute of Science and Technology, Panam, Garhshankar was performed. They also organised a medical camp on this occasion. To motivate the farmers for adopting residue management technologies, progressive farmers, who adopted these practices during previous year and custom hiring centre owners were honoured by the dignitaries on this occasion. Seeds of rabi crops, vegetable kits, pulse & oilseed kit, rhizobuim cultures, fruit plants, flower seed packets, fruitfly traps and technical literature were made available for the benefit of the farmers on this occasion. In the end, Dr. Maninder Singh Bons thanked all the experts for delivering informative lectures and farmers/farmwomen for listening attentively to the proceedings of the programme. FOR MANAGING PADDY STRAW, AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT URGES FARMERS TO PURCHASE MACHINERY IMMEDIATELY The Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department Punjab has urged those farmers/farmers societies who had submitted applications till August 24, 2018, to purchase machinery for management of paddy straw immediately, failing which these applications would be rejected and the machinery would be given to some other farmer/farmer society. While providing information, the Department’s representative in Ludhiana, Mr Hardev Singh, Agriculture Officer, informed that the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department Punjab had sought applications from farmers/farmers societies for the purchase of machinery for the effective management of paddy straw. He informed that all the applications received till August 24, 2018, have been approved by the department. He further informed that all the applicants need to get their bills of machinery purchased verified by October 24, 2018 in the department’s block offices or District Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department office. He said that if the farmers have either not purchased the machinery or have not got their bills verified by October 24, 2018, then their applications would be rejected and the machinery would be give to some other farmer. He has appealed to the farmers to purchase this machinery and effectively manage the paddy straw instead of burning it so that our environment as well as soil health can be saved. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER ORDERS IMMEDIATE ACTION AGAINST THOSE BURNING PADDY STRAW Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana Mr Pardeep Kumar Agrawal has directed all officials of the District Administration Ludhiana that if they come to know about any person involved in burning of paddy straw in the district, then they should bring it to the notice of District Administration and other concerned authorities so that strict action should be taken against them immediately. Besides, all the SDMs have been asked to form a WhatsApp group so that they can keep a tab on such activities on ground level and the cluster officers and other officials should be made part of this group. He directed all the SDMs to add all those who are performing duty to check burning of paddy straw in this WhatsApp group. He also directed that the moment any person comes to know about any incident of burning of paddy straw, they should post it in the group immediately so that timely action can be taken. While chairing a district level Coordination and Monitoring Committee formed to check incidents of paddy straw burning, at Bachat Bhawan, here today, Mr Agrawal stated that till date, very few cases of paddy straw burning have come to light and proper legal action has been initiated against them and people involved in burning of paddy straw are being fined as well. The Deputy Commissioner stated that the farmers should be educated about the ill effects of burning of paddy straw, which includes depleting soil health, environmental loss, health problems in humans and animals, etc. This meeting was also attended by ADC (G) Mr Iqbal Singh Sandhu, ADC Jagraon Mrs Neeru Katyal Gupta, ADC Khanna Mr Ajay Sood, all SDMs besides several others. CAPT AMARINDER MEETS MODI TO PRESS FOR COMPENSATION FOR STUBBLE BURNING, PM SYMPATHETIC TO FARMERS’ PROBLEM New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press for compensation to farmers in lieu of stubble burning, while also urging his intervention to ensure settlement of the Rs. 31000 crore CCL gap and assistance for the preparation of the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji. The Prime Minister was sympathetic to the problem of the farmers, said the Chief Minister, who has been pressing for Rs. 100 per quintal as compensation for the farmers to check the problem of stubble burning. Captain Amarinder Singh told Modi that the problem of stubble burning could get aggravated, despite various steps being taken by the state government, with the close of the harvest season, and needed to be urgently addressed. The Chief Minister also took the opportunity to thank the Prime Minister for the central government’s decision not to disturb the 60:40 ratio with respect to appointment of officers in the UT of Chandigarh. It may be recalled that Captain Amarinder Singh had, in recent weeks, expressed his strong protest over the constant efforts being made to disturb the fine balance in sharing of officers and other resources between Haryana and Punjab that had been achieved over a period of time after a great deal of effort. Giving details of the meeting, an official spokesperson of the Punjab government later said the Chief Minister had urged Modi to advise the Finance Ministry to urgently settle the Rs. 31000 crore CCL gap on the principle of shared responsibilities. Reiterating his demand for resettlement of gap in Food Cash Credit Account of Punjab, which had resulted from systemic and structural reasons, the Chief Minister told Modi that this should be settled on the principle of shared responsibilities amongst the stakeholders in procurement of foodgrains for the country, he said. In fact, he pointed out, the matter had been discussed in detail in internal report of the Ministry of Food and Public Distribution, referred as the PK Jha Committee Report. Noting that the Ministry of Finance, GoI, which was looking into the matter on a reference received from the Ministry of Food and Public Distribution, was yet to finalise the matter, Captain Amarinder Singh sought the Prime Minister’s intervention to resolve the issue. He urged the Prime Minister to advise the Ministry of Finance to reconsider and review conversion of Rs. 31,000 crore as long term loan as it cannot be solely attributed to the State of Punjab given the principle of shared responsibilities. Citing similar commemorative events held in the past, when generous assistance packages were given by GoI to the state government, the Chief Minister reminded Modi of his assurance that the Centre would provide due assistance to the Punjab government to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji next year in a befitting manner. He urged the Prime Minister to issue suitable directions to the Ministry of Culture and the National Implementation Committee, instituted in June this year, to provide the necessary support to the state to make suitable arrangements for the event. Earlier, in a letter to the Prime Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh also sought Rs. 800 crores in compensation for the losses incurred by the state due to the recent flooding resulting from exceptionally heavy rainfall, the spokesperson disclosed. The Chief Minister, in the letter, had informed Modi that the heavy rainfall in Punjab and adjoining Himachal Pradesh, from 22nd to 24th September, had caused extensive damage to life, agricultural crops, property and other infrastructure at different places in the State. The estimated damage to crops was Rs.150 crore, while road network had been damaged to the extent of Rs. 119.32 crore, with another Rs. 516.51 crore caused to flood protection infrastructure and minor irrigation works, said the Chief Minister. Further, there was damage to the tune of Rs. 5.11 crore to human population livestock and private residences, he noted, seeking compensation from the Government of India to enable the state to tide over this natural calamity.