‘Admn devising multi-pronged plan to check stubble burning’

Jalandhar, September 21

Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal on Thursday said the district administration would adopt a multi-pronged approach to tackle the stubble-burning menace by effectively implementing in-situ and ex-situ management of crop residues.

‘A total of 3 lakh MT stubble will be managed through in-situ and 4.56 lakh MT stubble by implementing ex-situ measures, besides remaining 1.90 lakh MT will be managed with the help of brick kilns, boilers, and other efforts.’

Vishesh Sarangal, Deputy Commissioner

Participating in a virtual conference of the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and adjoining areas, the Deputy Commissioner said intensive planning had been done by the administration to manage around 9.47 lakh MT stubble in the upcoming paddy harvesting season.

He said a total of 3 lakh MT stubble would be managed through in-situ and 4.56 lakh MT stubble by implementing ex-situ measures, besides remaining 1.90 lakh MT would be managed with the help of brick kilns, boilers, and other efforts including using stubble as fodder.

He said the administration had already appointed 243 cluster coordinators nodal officers who will be keeping close vigil in their jurisdiction to curb the menace.

Sarangal said the 5,618 machines were already provided through custom hiring centres/societies/groups and this year 790 such equipment would be given to the farmers through centres/societies/groups.

He said all these centres were already micro-mapped to ensure the availability of machines to farmers. He said this year, a new low-cost and environment-friendly technique namely surface seeder had been developed by Punjab Agricultural University and was being given to the farmers through online system.

Sarangal said the administration had already identified hotspots in the Shahkot, Phillaur, Nakodar sub-divisions, and SDMs of concerned sub-divisions were already asked to closely monitor the functioning of nodal officers and cluster coordinators to ensure zero stubble burning.

The Deputy Commissioner said an awareness campaign had already started to persuade the peasantry not to resort to the stubble-burning practice which is harmful to the environment and humans. Farmers’ awareness camps were also being held across the district.