• Punjab Govt spearheading a mass-movement in rural areas to educate farmers about ill-effects of stubble burning
Chandigarh, September 28:
In a decisive move towards addressing the pressing concern of stubble burning and fostering sustainable agriculture practices in the state, the Punjab Government has unveiled a comprehensive and ambitious Information, Education and Communication (IEC) plan for Crop Residue Management (CRM), announced S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Punjab.
Sharing the details of the initiative, S. Khudian said that the extensive campaign aims to blanket the state, directly engaging communities, students and farmers to drive a behavioural shift towards eco-friendly practices, thereby promoting a sustainable agriculture.
The Agriculture Minister informed that the multi-faceted IEC strategy encompasses a wide range of activities designed for maximum reach and impact. To effectively disseminate information, the department will deploy 50 dedicated publicity vans to broadcast informative messages in rural areas. Additionally, 444 ‘Nukkad Nataks’ (street plays) will be organised to communicate the message in a culturally resonant manner. Furthermore, 12,500 informative wall paintings will be created across the state to highlight the benefits of Crop Residue Management (CRM) and the ill-effects of paddy straw burning.
S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian stated that as many as 3,333 village-level camps and 296 block-level camps will be organised to provide farmers with direct access to information, expert advice, and government schemes on Crop Residue Management (CRM), empowering them to adopt sustainable practices, besides, mobilising 148 ASHA workers to conduct door-to-door awareness campaigns in villages, personalising the message for families. Furthermore, school students will be engaged through essay writing, painting, and debate competitions to instill environmental consciousness from a young age.
“The health of our soil and our people is our top priority. This year, we are not just focusing on providing machinery, but on winning the hearts and minds of our farming community. This massive outreach program is a ‘Mass Movement’ against stubble burning. We are going directly to the grassroots—to the villages, schools and homes—to educate, empower and encourage our farmers to become champions of crop residue management. Our goal is to ensure a cleaner, greener, and healthier Punjab for our future generations,” said S. Khudian while adding that this campaign underscores Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government’s firm commitment to addressing the challenge of air pollution.
Administrative Secretary Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department Dr. Basant Garg stated that a total of 1.58 lakh Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines have been provided to state farmers since 2018-19. He expressed confidence that proactive community engagement and mechanisation of agriculture sector would lead to a further substantial reduction in stubble burning incidents this season.
