Centre directs Punjab, Haryana to ramp up farmer awareness on stubble management ahead of winter

New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) Ahead of the winter season, the Centre on Tuesday directed Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi to intensify awareness campaigns among farmers about stubble management methods to curb air pollution, with a particular focus on stubble collection and storage for industrial utilisation.

At a crucial meeting on stubble management chaired by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, representatives from the four northern states briefed officials on the implementation of stubble management schemes in their respective states.

Appreciating the states' efforts, Chouhan stressed the need to enhance public awareness among farmers and suggested that "panchayats, local representatives, and nodal officers should be actively involved at the village level to achieve better outcomes".

Chouhan said he will personally begin wheat sowing in his own field on October 12, immediately after the paddy harvest, to set an example for farmers. "When farmers see me doing it, they too will be encouraged to adopt direct sowing," the Union Minister said in a statement.

The agriculture minister also urged state counterparts to promote direct seeding in their respective regions and encourage farmers to use rotavators, choppers, bio-decomposers, and mulching equipment. He called for promotion of bio-CNG and ethanol plants to utilise crop residues effectively.

Highlighting the importance of proper fund utilisation, Chouhan directed states to ensure that available funds for stubble management are spent efficiently so that the availability of machinery does not become an issue. He also stressed the need to prioritise crop diversification as part of long-term efforts.

The minister discussed issues related to crop management, direct seeding, diversification, effective utilisation of allocated funds, monitoring mechanisms, and the formulation of practical, target-oriented action plans.

Chouhan proposed linking bio-CNG, pellet, compost units, industries, and thermal plants with stubble collection and disposal systems to ensure scientific management of crop residue. "By adopting concrete, coordinated measures, tangible and positive results will definitely follow," he said.

The Union agriculture minister underlined the need for training, awareness, capacity building, and real-time monitoring.

"With coordinated efforts between the Centre and the states, the incidents of stubble burning will certainly reduce further in the coming days," he said.

"Real-time or on-ground monitoring is essential. I am confident that with sustained efforts, we will achieve better outcomes and succeed in protecting the environment and climate." Addressing the meeting, Environment Minister Yadav commended the states for their ongoing efforts and emphasised enhanced coordination between the Ministry of Agriculture and state governments over the next 10 days.

He stressed the importance of stubble collection and storage to ensure its proper industrial utilisation, highlighting the potential use of stubble in brick kilns and thermal power plants.

The meeting at Krishi Bhavan was also attended by Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi, ICAR Director General M L Jat, and other senior officials from both ministries.

Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana, Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, and Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa attended the meeting virtually. PTI LUX HVA