Jalandhar (The Stellar News): To eliminate the menace of stubble burning by providing the hi-tech machinery to the farmers on the subsidy, the district administration will give subsidy more than Rs 10 crore to the farmers to get hi-tech machines under In-Situ management for crop residue scheme this year. With the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department extensively sensitized the farmers to shun stubble burning and manage the stubble with the machines, the department this year received 888 applications individually from the farmers and 909 applications were submitted by farmers’ groups. Last year, 287 applications individually and 232 applications were submitted by farmers’ groups, he said.
Divulging the details, the deputy commissioner Ghanshyam Thori said a draw was organized by the department in which 444 applications of individual farmers and 460 applications of farm groups/cooperative societies were selected. He said that the state government had started this scheme where the subsidy is being given to farmers on farm machinery used for managing paddy straw so that all the farmers can join government’s initiative to curb the stubble burning which pollutes our environment.
He added that under this scheme, individual farmers would get 50% subsidy for purchase of happy seeders, paddy straw chopper, multure, hydraulic reversible MB Plant, zero till drill, super SMS rotary slasher/shrub cutter. He informed that under this scheme, there is a provision of 80% subsidy for registered farmers groups or co-operative societies for opening custom hiring centres so that machinery can be used on rent by the farmers.
The deputy commissioner said that the objective behind providing these types of equipment is to decompose the stubble in the field rather than burning as it would save the environment and improve the health of the soil. Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Surinder Singh due to the burning of paddy straw several major nutrients and other micro-nutrients of soil were destroyed adding that the burning of paddy straw produces several poisonous gases which harm human health.
He added that the department is already running an intensive campaign to make the farmers aware of the harmful effects of the burning of paddy straw on the environment and human health and the environment. He appealed to the farmers that they should come forward and adopt effective methods for its management through the latest techniques. The draw was held under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner Harpreet Singh, DIO Amolak Kalsi, Deputy Director KVK Dr Kuldeep Singh, Scientist Dr Maninder Singh, DM Nabard Savita Singh, Engineer Navdeep Singh and others.
