Punjab urges Centre to start special rakes to transport stubble to neighbouring states

“We produce 200 lakh tonne of paddy stubble every year. About 70-80 lakh tonne is not utilised and set on fire by the farmers. We have taken care of 120 lakh tonne of stubble, which is being used in brick kilns, bio mass plants and other industries. However, another 70-80 lakh tonne of paddy stubble is set on fire. We have given the idea to the Centre and demanded that trains to transport this residue should be started so that this stubble can be transported to Rajasthan, Gujarat and other states,” said an official of the Punjab government.

The meeting was chaired by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav. Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, Chief Secretary Anurag Verma, FCD KAP Sinha and Secretary Science and Technology Rahul Tiwari were present in the meeting.

The official added that the Centre has already refused bonus to farmers for not setting stubble on fire. “They have told us that they have given us machines and now it is our duty to educate the farmers not to burn the stubble. We are now thinking of ways and means,” the official said.

He added that Punjab’s suggestion was discussed positively and it was decided that a meeting with Ministry of Railway and other state government would be held and the modalities would be worked out. “If our farmers from Fazilka can send paddy stubble in trucks to neighbouring districts in Rajasthan and to Gujarat, trains can do this for the government. The farmers tell us that the gaushalas there buy grams from the market, which was a costlier feed for the cows,” he said.

At agri ministers meet, Gopal Rai calls for bringing down cases of stubble burning

The problem of crop residue burning will be worked out by the Delhi government as a priority, Development Minister Gopal Rai said on Thursday and urged the national capital’s neighbours to curb the farming practice. He was speaking at an inter-ministerial meeting of state agricultural ministers on crop residue management which was held through video conferencing.

The Delhi government will spray bio-decomposers free of cost in more than 5,000 acres of fields this year, said the minister said and added that demonstration of 50 agricultural machinery and 50 training camps for stubble management will be organised for farmers in five districts of Delhi. “Every year, the Arvind Kejriwal government develops a winter action plan based on various factors to address the issue of escalating pollution in Delhi during the winter months,” Rai said.

The minister said that stubble burning during the winter contributes significantly to the problem of pollution. The Delhi government every year distributes bio-decomposers free of cost for dealing with paddy stubble and this has yielded positive outcomes, he said. “However, we have seen that numerous incidents of stubble burning are also reported in our neighbouring states,” he said.