Punjab’s crop residue management plan bets big on subsidised machines

The Punjab government has decided to provide farmers with 36,020 subsidised machines for in-situ and ex-situ management of the crop residue for the upcoming kharif season harvest (September to November). It has sought an outlay of ₹500 crore from the Centre.

The action plan prepared by the state has been sent to the Centre’s commission for air quality management in the NCR and surrounding areas for an approval, which if given will be followed by the release of funds. “We are working with the mandate for a zero stubble fire this season,” a senior state department of environment officer said.

During the paddy harvest that coincides with onset of winters in north India, smoke rising from the fields of Punjab and Haryana leads to formation of a smog jacket over the region causing severe health and environmental hazards.

The state government has between 2018 and 2023 received ₹1,560 crore to supply subsidised machines for crop residue management (CRM) to the farmers, and till 2023 138,022 machines have been supplied to the farmers.

“Our department is preparing details of how many different types of machines to be supplied to the farmers,” an agriculture department officer said.

According to the state agriculture department officials, 11 different types of machines will be supplied to farmers for CRM, which surface seeder, smart seeder, baler, crop reaper, reverse plough, mulcher, chopper, shrub master, straw rake, super SMS, surface seeder and zero till drill to manage paddy stubble so that farmers desist from burning it. The machines are for in-situ (mixing straw in the soil) and ex-situ (evacuating from the fields).

From 2018 to 2022, the Centre has given 100% grant for CRM and in 2023 the funds ( ₹175 crore) came in a 60:40 proportion with Centre giving 60% and rest contributed by the state. For the upcoming season, the state will contribute ₹200 crore out of the total outlay.

Hotspots identified

Notably, the state has, in a first, prepared a list of hotspots for stubble fires. A total of 663 villages have been identified and the SDMs and tehsildars will personally visit them to ensure that no fire incidents occur in the villages.

Punjab seeks ₹100 per quintal compensation

The state has sought the intervention of the commission for air quality management to take up the issue with the Union ministry of agriculture and provide paddy straw management compensation of ₹100 per quintal of paddy produced at least for three years by the time the industry for alternate use of paddy straw becomes fully operational. The state has been raising the demand since 2020 during the congress party regime.

A encouraging trend

Last season, Punjab touted the fact that the number of farm fires came down from 49,922 in 2022 to 36,623 last year, a fall of 26% in a pollution source blamed for the national capital’s poor air coinciding with the onset of winters in the months of October and November.

Stubble on 19 lakh acres was burnt in 2023, an increase of 26% over the stubble on 15 lakh acres burnt in 2022. This season paddy has been sown over 31.54 lakh hectares out of which 6.58 lakh hectares is aromatic premium basmati variety.

About 19.5 million tonnes of paddy straw is generated in the paddy harvest season, which also includes 3.3 million tonne of stubble of the premium aromatic basmati variety. Of the total paddy straw, the state government manages around 11.5 million tonne through various in-situ management measures and 4.67 million tonnes by the ex-situ method.