Chandigarh, November 4, 2024—As the Supreme Court prepares to hear a case on stubble burning today, the Punjab government reports significant progress in reducing incidents of crop residue burning.
Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian announced that the state has approved 21,958 subsidized Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines this year, aiming to equip farmers with modern technology for managing crop residues.
Since 2018, farmers in Punjab have acquired a total of 1.45 lakh CRM machines, with 14,587 machines purchased this year alone. Among these, Super Seeder machines proved the most popular, with farmers purchasing 9,010 units, followed by 1,383 zero-till drills, 627 RMB plows, 595 balers, and 590 rake machines. Additionally, 620 Customer Hiring Centers (CHCs) have been established across Punjab to ensure that small and marginal farmers have access to CRM equipment.
According to Khudian, these efforts have led to a 68% reduction in stubble-burning incidents in Punjab. “As of November 3, we recorded 4,132 cases of stubble burning compared to 12,813 incidents at the same time last year,” he stated, attributing the improvement to the combined efforts of the government and farmers.
The Agriculture Minister urged farmers to avoid burning straw to protect the environment from pollution, noting that individual farmers can receive a 50% subsidy on CRM machines, while cooperative societies, FPOs, and panchayats are eligible for up to an 80% subsidy.
Khudian said that the reduced incidents of stubble burning demonstrate the commitment of both the government and the agricultural community to addressing this pressing environmental issue.
