PUNJAB WITNESSES SHARP DECLINES IN STUBBLE BURNING AS COMPARED TO HARYANA

• Punjab registers 16% decline in farm fire incidents so far, which is double from neighbouring state, Gurmeet Singh Khudian

* ⁠ Over 8K nodal officers on ground keeping vigil to prevent farm fires

Chandigarh, October 24:

          Maintaining the decreasing trend in stubble burning incidents, Punjab has made significant strides in reducing stubble burning incidents, with a 16 percent decline in farm fires recorded till October 23, 2024, compared to the same period last year. The state has witnessed 1638 farm fires till October 23 this year, down from 1946 in the corresponding period of last year.

          The figures of decline in stubble burning incidents are also significant as the neighbouring state Haryana has been able to control the stubble burning menace by 8 per cent only during the same period.

          Revealing the details, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that Punjab has registered massive decline of 88 per cent in farm fire incidents in 2024 in comparison to 2020. As per the official data, the state had witnessed 13,894 stubble burning incidents in 2020, which has drastically come down to merely 1638 incidents this year.

          On the other hand, the Haryana had registered only 56 per cent decline in the same years.

          This is despite the fact that Punjab has over 32 lakh hectares of land dedicated to paddy cultivation, more than double from Haryana’s 15 lakh hectares, he added.

          S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that Punjab has provided 13,616 Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines to farmers so far this year, bringing the total to over 1.43 Lac machines since 2018.

           “More than 8000 nodal officers have been appointed by the government to prevent stubble burning and raise awareness among farmers", said Mr. Khuddian.

          The Agriculture Minister also highlighted the launch of the "Unnat Kisan" mobile application, which has mapped 1.30 lakh CRM machines to facilitate access for small and marginal farmers to stubble management machines. He said that an action plan of Rs. 500 crore has been drawn up for stubble management this year, demonstrating the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government's commitment to tackling this issue.

          Mr Gurmeet Singh Khudian said, "The reduction in stubble burning incidents is a testament to the concerted efforts of the Punjab government and the farming community. Our initiatives, including the provision of CRM machines and the appointment of nodal officers, are yielding positive results. The launch of the 'Unnat Kisan' mobile application further empowers our farmers by providing them with easy access to stubble management resources."

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