Ahead of the paddy harvesting season, the Kurukshetra district administration and Agriculture Department have deployed more than 680 nodal officers in the field to prevent crop residue burning and have set a target of bringing farm fires down to zero.
Farmer unions have also extended support to the administration’s efforts, urging farmers not to burn paddy stubble. At the same time, they have sought adequate availability of crop residue management machinery and timely lifting of bales to ensure farmers are not forced to resort to burning.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh said farmers should mix paddy residue into the soil as it helped maintain soil health.
“We urge farmers not to burn stubble as it is harmful to soil health and the environment. However, the government must ensure adequate availability of machines for residue management. If farmers get machines and bales are lifted from their fields in time, they will not burn the stubble,” he said.
BKU (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) spokesman Tejveer Singh said harvesting of early paddy varieties was expected to begin around September 15. He said potato growers had a shorter window between paddy harvesting and sowing the next crop and needed timely assistance.
The Agriculture Department should ensure adequate machinery at the block level, identify potato growers and help them clear their fields. A nodal officer should chalk out a strategy at the block level and ensure bales are lifted within three days,” he said.
Tejveer Singh also sought a crop residue management incentive of Rs 5,000 per acre for farmers.
Deputy Director Agriculture, Kurukshetra, Dr Girish Nagpal said micro-level planning had been undertaken to curb stubble burning. More than 680 nodal officers had been deployed and over 4,400 crop residue management machines were available with individuals and custom hiring centre operators in the district.
He said various committees, including flying squads, had been formed, while the police had been asked to provide assistance. Kurukshetra recorded 11 farm fire incidents last year. “We aim to bring farm fires to zero this year,” Dr Nagpal said.
