Initiative to make 10 villages free of stubble burning

LUDHIANA: To promote sustainable agricultural practices and mitigate effects of crop residue burning, the Gadri Baba Dulla Singh Giani Nihal Singh (GBDSGNS) Foundation and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) have initiated a work in partnership with Royal Enfield at 10 villages in Raikot block of Ludhiana district.

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 27

To promote sustainable agricultural practices and mitigate effects of crop residue burning, the Gadri Baba Dulla Singh Giani Nihal Singh (GBDSGNS) Foundation and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) have initiated a work in partnership with Royal Enfield at 10 villages in Raikot block of Ludhiana district.

This project is technically supported by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), the Agriculture Department, Ludhiana; and the district administration. The initiative aimed at making adopted villages free from the practice of stubble burning.

A Farmer Field Day event was organised at Halwara village today that was attended by 300 farmers of the area.

The CII Foundation, with field support from a large number of volunteers of GBDSGNS Foundation, is creating large scale awareness in the villages involving progressive farmers, schoolchildren and youth volunteers, encouraging farmers to adopt sustainable farming and improved stubble management practices. In partnership with Punjab Agricultural University, the CII plans to organise a number of training events in the villages to help farmers learn about the scientific aspects of improved straw management practices. The initiative is also supporting farmers to procure and use farm machineries collectively, to enable them to undertake “mulching” and other improved in-situ straw management methods at a large scale.

Encouraged by the inspiring response of pilot intervention, the CII aims to expand the programme in a multi-stakeholder partnership to about 100 villages in 2019 across districts of Ludhiana, Barnala, Patiala and Sangrur in Punjab and Rohtak and Fatehabad in Haryana.

Dr Gursahab Singh from Punjab Agricultural University said, “Incorporating the crop residue in soil enhances the soil fertility and retains farm-friendly insects.”

Harjinder Singh Nikka, sarpanch, Halwara village, said, “The farm inputs required reduced due to the use of happy seeder and combine SMS on the field.”