Campaign against residue burning gets good response

Mahesh Sharma

Mandi Ahmedgarh, Sept 25

The campaign launched by the administration against stubble burning received a shot in the arm with a group of progressive farmers coming forwards to work as volunteers to persuade more paddy cultivators to join the crusade launched under supervision of Malerkotla DC Dr Pallavi.

These volunteers, who had been taking alternative measures for disposal of agricultural waste, were among 51 progressive farmers who were facilitated by the administration for following guidelines of the National Green Tribunal on the subject for many years.

Ahmedgarh SDM Harbans Singh claimed that progressive farmers who were recently recognised for gestures shown towards preservation of the environment had come forward to join the campaign launched by the administration with the aim to achieve the target of zero tolerance in stubble burning this year.

“Though we have received a good response from farmers to appeals made during workshops, seminars and other events for shunning stubble burning, paddy cultivators are turning more responsive to arguments given by progressive farmers, believing them to ‘own brethren’,” claimed Harbans Singh.

Appreciating gesture shown by felicitated farmers to join hands with the anti-stubble burning movement launched by the administration and encourage other peasants to follow guidelines on disposal of agricultural wastes, Malerkotla DC Pallavi hoped that joint efforts would help the administration achieve target of zero tolerance in the matter.

“Keeping in view the genuine concern of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann about hazardous effects of the stubble burning, we have launched a coordinated movement to discourage farmers to burn agricultural waste in general and stubble in particular so that the target of zero tolerance is achieved,” said Pallavi expressing hope that arguments given by successful paddy cultivators adopting alternative modes of disposal of agricultural waste would be comprehended by farmers more easily.

#Environment #Farm Fires #Malerkotla #Mandi #Pollution #Stubble Burning