Punjab Govt to rope in students to create awareness on stubble-burning

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 19

Four senior Cabinet ministers today got together with experts to formulate a strategy against stubble-burning and safeguarding the environment.

21 cases in border districts

• In all, 21 incidents of farm fire have been reported from two border districts of Amritsar and Tarn Taran this season so far. Amritsar reported 16 cases and Tarn Taran five
• Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Jatinder Singh Gill said, “Whenever a farm fire is reported, the field staff conduct a physical verification of the site. A report recommending action against erring farmers is then sent to the higher-ups”

Deadline for Happy Seeder subsidy extended

The deadline to apply for subsidy on Happy Seeder machines has been extended by 15 days. To absorb stubble in the soil, the Agriculture Department will spray D-decomposer solution on 5,000 acres as part of a pilot project. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Agriculture Minister

The ministers — Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal (Agriculture), Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer (Higher Education and Environment), Aman Arora (New and Renewable Energy) and Harjot Bains (School Education) — chalked out a comprehensive plan, including a mega awareness campaign that will be launched on September 27 at Punjabi University, Patiala.

In the first phase of the campaign, students in universities and colleges will be roped in. Experts will apprise them of the harmful effects of stubble-burning and how to manage crop residue.

After Punjabi University, training programmes will be organised at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, on September 28 and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, the next day.

Later, the students will visit villages across the state to make people aware of the ill-effects of the anti-environment practice.

“The deadline to apply for subsidy on Happy Seeder machines has been extended by 15 days. To absorb stubble in the soil, the Agriculture Department will spray D-decomposer solution on 5,000 acres as part of a pilot project,” said Dhaliwal.

Meet Hayer later told the media that the state government would encourage eco-friendly industries using paddy straw as fuel.

“The government is also working on a plan, according to which it will be mandatory for brick-kilns to use some percentage of paddy straw as fuel. This practice will be implemented in other industries as well,” he said.

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