Punjab: The newly formed gram panchayats of the region have come forward to support the movement launched by the administration to reduce the incidence of stubble burning. Apart from persuading paddy cultivating farmers to adopt eco-friendly methods of disposal of agricultural waste, the office-bearers of these panchayats have urged senior officials of the government to provide small and marginal farmers with adequate equipment required for managing crop residue. Members of various gram panchayats said that most paddy cultivating farmers of the region have responded positively to their call to support the campaign launched by the administration against the problem of stubble burning. Sarpanch Jeetwal Kalan Parwinder Singh Gill said, “However, many small and marginal farmers have shown their inability to prepare their fields for the next wheat crop without resorting to thermal clearance of agricultural waste as they do not have adequate equipment to adopt alternative methods of disposal of stubble.” The sarpanches and panches said they have sought the intervention of the revenue officers of their respective areas to draw the attention of the government towards the obstacles being faced in the zero tolerance policy towards stubble burning. Justifying the demand for strengthening the infrastructure for adopting alternative methods of crop residue management, Field Kanungo Sandaur Circle and former President of Revenue Patwar Union Punjab Harvir Singh Dhindsa said he had raised the issue before Principal Secretary KAP Sinha who had assured to sympathetically consider the problems of paddy cultivators. Dhindsa said, “Considering the limitations of farmers willing to avoid stubble burning, I spoke to senior officers of the government who have assured to take necessary steps to enhance the necessary equipment for adopting alternative eco-friendly methods for disposal of agricultural waste.”
Alleging exploitation of farmers in the name of subsidy, Dhindsa urged the administration to examine the process of providing subsidy to farmers on purchase of equipment. “Farmers are being duped in the name of subsidy on equipment like super seeder, happy seeder, rotavator and mulcher. Though the Punjab government is providing subsidy on these, the machinery mentioned above is beyond the reach of small farmers,” reads a paragraph of a communiqué written by Dhindsa to principal secretary KAP Sinha. Dhindsa said stubble burning is not the only reason behind pollution as a section of the industry is also violating the guidelines of the pollution board and the National Green Tribunal. He argued that instead of taking punitive action against farmers, the government should take necessary steps to provide them adequate means to deal with agricultural waste without burning it.
