At a review meeting here, Kaushal emphasised the need for a collaborative approach with officers of Agricultural and Police Department deployed at district, block, and village levels to monitor and curb farm fires.
He underlined the significance of addressing industrial fires too.
“Anyone harming the environment is an enemy of humanity,” he said, emphasising the importance of strict action against those found violating anti-stubble burning regulations.
He urged local authorities to engage with farm leaders and raise awareness about the government’s incentives to discourage the farm fires.
Kaushal emphasised the importance of delivering equipment to small and marginal farmers during field visits. This step ensures that even the smallest of farmers have access to the necessary tools to manage crop residue effectively.
He said through a series of measures nearly 50 per cent decline in fire events associated with stubble burning in the state was reported between 2021 and 2022.
He said this year the state aims to manage 37 lakh tonnes of paddy straw, with almost one-third of this resource being repurposed by the industry.
An estimate 13.54 lakh metric tons of paddy straw is likely to be consumed by major industries. The government plans to target five lakh acre of paddy through Pusa Bio Decomposer.
An allocation of Rs 300 crore has been made under the centrally-sponsored Promotion of Agricultural Mechanisation for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue scheme, covering Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi.
The state offers financial incentives like Rs 1,000 per acre for in-situ or ex-situ management of paddy crop residue, Rs 7,000 per acre for diversification of paddy area with alternative crops under the Mera Pani Meri Virasat Scheme and Rs 4,000 per acre for the adoption of direct sowing of rice.
The New and Renewable Energy Department has identified biomass-producing clusters of villages in proximity to various industries, in collaboration with the Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Department.
Panchayats in the red zones that successfully achieve the zero-burning target will be rewarded with Rs one lakh, while villages in the yellow zones reaching the zero-burning goal will receive Rs 50,000 as an incentive.
Additionally, transportation charges for bales have been set at Rs 500 per acre, with a maximum limit of Rs 15,000 to support Gaushalas.
Karnal emerged as the frontrunner district with an exceptional 68.51 per cent decrease in farm fires, plummeting from 956 incidents in 2021 to mere 301 in 2022.
Faridabad demonstrated the remarkable progress, witnessing a staggering 66.67 per cent reduction, with incidents dropping from three to just one. Panipat closely followed with a commendable 66.54 per cent decrease, reducing incidents from 254 to 85, an official statement said.
Hisar displayed significant progress, registering a 53.06 per cent reduction, decreasing from 245 incidents to 115. Fatehabad exhibited noteworthy improvement, reporting a substantial 48.14 per cent reduction, dropping from 1,479 incidents to 767.
Jind showcased a commendable 44.63 per cent decrease, declining from 912 incidents to 505. Kaithal demonstrated its commitment with a 42.56 per cent reduction, lowering its incidents from 1,163 to 668.
And Kurukshetra showed promising progress with a 44.24 per cent decrease, recording a drop from 538 incidents to 300.
–Ajit Weekly News
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News Credits – I A N S
