To tackle stubble burning Punjab plans to provide straw management machines for Kharif season

According to a senior official, the Punjab government plans to give more than 22,000 crop residue management devices on a subsidised basis as part of a Rs 350 crore action plan for the 2023 Kharif season to reduce the number of incidents of stubble burning in the state.

The state agriculture department is aiming for zero stubble burning incidents in seven districts—Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Mohali, SBS Nagar, and Malerkotla—as well as a 50% decrease in stubble fire cases in Patiala, Sangrur, Faridkot, and Muktsar districts—as part of the paddy straw management plan, the official said.

In Punjab, the number of incidences of stubble burning decreased by 30% from 71,304 in 2021 to 49,907 in the Kharif season of 2022. "We have an action plan of Rs 350 crore for the paddy straw management," said Punjab Agriculture Director Gurwinder Singh.

21,000 machines for in-situ management

Around 21,000 machines for in-situ management—mixing crop residue in fields—and 1,800 balers for ex-situ management—using stubble as fuel—will be provided to farmers under this initiative for managing paddy straw.

Crop residues management equipment, such as super seeders, smart seeders, happy seeders, paddy straw cutters, shredders, mulchers, hydraulic reversible mould board ploughs, zero till drills, and balers for in-ex-situ management, will be provided on a subsidised basis.

According to the officials, individual farmers can receive a 50% subsidy for straw management equipment, while cooperative societies and custom hiring centres can receive an 80% subsidy.

Punjab has already supplied 1.17 lakh such machines since the start of a programme to promote agricultural mechanisation for crop residue management in 2018.

100% grant from the Centre in last 5 years

Punjab received a 100% grant from the Centre in the last five years worth Rs. 1,400 crore for crop residue management. However, the Centre this year opted to give 60% as its part, while Punjab will contribute the remaining 40% to the Rs 350 crore action plan.
"The Union government will contribute Rs 210 crore while the state government will put in Rs 140 crore," said the official.

With a paddy area of roughly 31 lakh hectares, Punjab produces more than 200 lakh tonnes of paddy straw annually, of which 120 lakh tonnes were treated using in-situ and ex-situ management techniques.

One of the causes of the worrying increase in air pollution levels in the nation's capital and northern regions in October and November is the burning of paddy straw in Punjab and Haryana.

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