Intensive drive to make farmers aware of stubble burning menace: DC

Dilbag Singh 

Intensive drive to make farmers aware of stubble burning menace: DC

JALANDHAR 5 SEPTEMBER 

 To make the farmers aware of the hazardous effects of paddy stubble burning, Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal on Monday said that a village level intensive drive would be initiated to create awareness on this sensitive issue.

After participating in the Video Conference presided over by Chief Secretary Anurag Verma, the Deputy Commissioner said that the farmers would be made aware of ill effects of paddy straw burning, which poses a serious risk to the health of individuals. He said that farmers would also be sensitized of the damage caused to human health and environment due to paddy stubble burning, for which this campaign would play a key role.

Sarangal added that the village level meetings will be organized daily to motivate the farmers to shun this practice. He told that the campaign will be focussed on making the farmers aware of the negative effects of paddy straw burning adding that it was the high time when farmers were encouraged making firm resolve to save the environment by shunning this hazardous practice.

The Deputy Commissioner also exhorted the farmers to avail maximum benefit of 50% subsidy on surface seeders by applying online on the website of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department agrimachinerypb.com till September 10. He said that the machine costs Rs 80,000, and after a 50% subsidy for individual farmers, it will cost Rs 40,000 and 80 percent would be given to the registered farmer groups, custom hiring centers, panchayats, cooperatives, rural entrepreneurs, farmer producer organizations (FPOs). He said that Jalandhar district had a target of giving 200 subsidized surface seeders and Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department had been conducting an intensive awareness drive among the peasantry about the benefits of surface seeders.