Min: Pb will reduce farm fires, but Centre needs to do more

Chandigarh: With all eyes on Punjab ahead of the paddy harvesting season, state agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian is confident that stubble burning incidents will drop this season even as the state govt aims to completely douse farm fires in a couple of years. He, however, said that the Centre should pitch in with more funds for this.Talking to TOI, Khudian said: “This year too, subsidised crop residue management (CRM) equipment has been provided to farmers. There has been a sustained campaign to motivate farmers to give up the unhealthy practice as the majority of them do realise that their families are affected by pollution. We are also focusing on ex-situ disposal of stubble through balers.”

Asked about the National Green Tribunal (NGT) now emphasising on zero stubble burning, Khudian said: “We are heading in that direction. The trend to use paddy stubble in industrial units is catching up in the state. Unless the Centre pitches in to expedite setting up of such industries that use stubble as raw material, it will take some time. It is expected that stubble burning will be brought to zero in two to three years. Meanwhile, there will be a dip in stubble burning cases this season.”There was a decrease of around 27% in the number of farm fires in Punjab in 2023 compared to the previous year. In 2023, 36,663 farm fires were reported, down from 49,922 in 2022. The reduction in the farm fires in 2023 with respect to the figures in 2021 and 2020 was 49% and 56%, respectively. However, while the number of farm fires decreased, the area where paddy stubble was burnt increased by 26% compared to that in 2022.“This season, we will reduce it by at least 10-15%. Farmers now realise the benefits of mulching technique by spreading a layer of paddy straw around plants to improve soil health, suppress weeds, and conserve moisture,” said Khudian. Last year, the Centre had asked the Punjab govt to pitch in with 40% of the subsidy given on CRM machines to farmers.Meanwhile, batting for cash incentive for farmers, chief minister Bhagwant Mann had earlier pointed out that Punjab govt had proposed to the Commission for Air Quality Management that if the Centre gives Rs 1,000, the state can contribute Rs 1,500 so that a total Rs 2,500 per acre can be given to the farmers for not burning paddy stubble, but the proposal was not accepted. AAP MP Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak had also rooted for financial assistance to farmers as a solution to stop stubble burning.Apart from efforts by the agriculture department, the Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) will draw up a month-wise activity calendar for engagement with industry. The Punjab Pollution Control Board would focus on paddy straw utilisation in industrial boilers and brick kilns.