Panchayat conference concludes with pledge to shun stubble burning

Ludhiana, September 25, 2019: Panchayat Conference on crop residue management was jointly organised by ICAR-ATARI and Gadri Baba Dulla Singh Giani Nihal Singh (GBDSGNS) Foundation, Ludhiana at ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Ludhiana with the objective to reach a grass root level against residue burning. Dr.Rajbir Singh, Director, ICAR-ATARI, Ludhiana welcomed the Chief Guest Sh. Rishi Pal Singh, ADC Development, Ludhiana, others guests and participants of the conference. In his welcome address, he said that this is a unique conference in which, ICAR Institute, NGO, Administration, Agricultural University, International Institute came together to disseminate the message of crop residue management to the elected representatives of local government so that message percolate down to the grass-root level. In his inaugural address, Sh. Rishi Pal Singh, ADC Development, Ludhiana has asked the Panchayat Pradhan, Sarpanchs and Panchs to shun the paddy straw burning and become the ambassador of mission zero burning by showing the path to other farmers of their respective Panchayats. He has also elaborated the ill effect of stubble burning on the environment. Dr.J.S.Mahal, Director of Extension Education, PAU, Ludhiana, in his opening remarks, make aware Panchayat members about various technologies developed for crop residue management. He has also requested them to help government and Non-Government organisations in out scaling these technologies amongst farmers of Punjab. Dr Himachsu Gupta, SDM, Raikot and DPRO Prabhdeep Singh Nathowal also exhorted the participants of the conference to work together for this noble cause. Dr.H.S. Sidhu, Senior Research Engineer BISA Ludhiana, Dr Manpreet Singh and Er. Arshdeep Singh presented their technical lectures on crop residue management in the conference. Farmers who are not burning the crop residue in their field were also participated in this conference and shared their experience to the participants of the conference. In this conference, more than 120 elected Panchayat members of 35 villages Panchayats of Raikot development block participated and sensitised about ill effect of stubble burning to human, animal, soil health, etc. Dr.H.S. Sidhu, CEO, GBDSGNS Foundation declared that foundation will act untiringly to declare cluster of 35 villages as residue burning free villages and this effort will be highlighted on national and international level.