Shivraj Singh Chouhan Advocates for Action Against Stubble Burning Pollution in Delhi

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan today held an important meeting to deal with the terrible problem of pollution caused every year in Delhi. Union Forest Environment and Climate Change Minister Shri Bhupendra Yadav, Union Minister of State for Agriculture Shri Bhagirath Chaudhary, Agriculture Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, Forest Environment Minister of Delhi, Chief Secretaries and Agriculture Secretaries of the states including key officials attended this meeting virtually.

Shri Chouhan informed that from last year to this year, there has been a 35% reduction in incidents of stubble burning in Punjab. There has been a 21% reduction in Haryana. There has also been a reduction of more than 51% in incidents of stubble burning as compared to 2017, but there is still a need for constant attention. The states informed that they are constantly monitoring, and their nodal officers are fixed. They are following the instructions of the Supreme Court and the governments are also making all efforts for public awareness from their side.

Union Minister Shri Chauhan said that burning of stubble causes damage and sugarcane leaves and other things also burn due to fire, apart from the crop, the health of Mother Earth is also affected due to fire, insects are also killed, the soil becomes hard, fertility goes down. He said that a mass awareness campaign is going on on a large scale. We will try to run it more effectively together with the Center and the State. In the last few years, the Central Government has given more than 3 lakh machines on subsidy. Which do the work of stubble management instead of burning. Those machines will be used effectively and are also being used. Many times small farmers do not have access to these machines, those who have small farms, how can they manage the stubble by taking machines from the Custom Hiring Center, if the stubble is buried in the field itself, it becomes fertilizer, instead of being a problem, it becomes a boon. How to increase the access of small farmers to it, etc., many such topics were also discussed.

Shri Chauhan said that maximum use of bio-decomposer should be made and we will try to promote it in mission mode. There was a discussion on promoting the XC2 use of stubble through mapping based on the demand of the nearby industries, we will make collective efforts together so that the incidents of stubble burning can be controlled. He said that not only stubble but sometimes firecrackers are also burnt in uncontrolled numbers, which also has a great impact on the environment. Many efforts have been discussed on how to stop that too. The results of the efforts are also coming out continuously, the incidents of continuous burning of stubble are also decreasing and everyone has resolved that we will take effective measures so that the environment remains safe and pollution does not become a threat to human life. He said that some states have given their different suggestions, like Haryana giving additional facilities to the farmers by encouraging them not to burn stubble, similarly, Punjab is also making efforts from its side. The suggestions of all the states have been noted seriously.