States asked to promote agri-equipment to handle crop residue

NEW DELHI: Amid concerns over rising pollution in the national capital due to stubble burning in neighbouring states, the Centre today directed Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to promote use of agri-equipment for crop residue management in a big way.

Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh today held a meeting in this regard with representatives of Punjab, Haryana and UP governments as well as senior officials from Environment Ministry and Central Pollution Control Board and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

"In the meeting, various issues related to crop residue management and stubble burning were discussed. Radha Mohan Singh directed the officials of the Ministry and state governments to take steps to promote use of equipment for crop residue management in a big way," said a statement issued by the Agriculture Ministry.

The Minister also emphasised that the state governments should create massive awareness on crop stubble management and create large number of customs-hiring centres in which machines for crop residue management are included.

The centre asked the states to effectively use machines such as 'Happy seeder', 'Rotavator', 'zero till seed drill', 'Baler', 'Paddy straw chopper' and 'Reaper binder'.

For instance, 'Happy seeder' is used for sowing of crop in standing stubble, 'Rotavator' for land preparation and incorporation of crop stubble in the soil, while that of 'zero till seed drill' for direct sowing of seeds in the previous crop stubbles and 'Baler' for collection of straw and making bales of paddy stubbles.

These machines were earlier distributed to farmers under various state government schemes, which resulted in substantial reduction in stubble burning in Haryana, UP and Punjab, the statement said.

The Centre had come out with a national policy for management of crop residue way back in November 2014 and the same was sent to the state governments.

The state took several steps in this direction. In January 2015, a workshop on crop stubble burning issues was held in Chandigarh in which the central and state government officials discussed the issues and made several recommendations on the issue.

Similarly in Haryana and UP, the Chief Secretaries and Principal Secretaries of Agriculture held several meetings to monitor the progress of this important crop residue management issue, it added.