Institution of Engineers Conduct Seminar on “Prevention & Solution to Stubble Burning”

By 121 News

Chandigarh 01^st June:- The One Day Seminar on "Prevention & Solution to Stubble Burning" was organized by the Institution of Engineers (India), Punjab & Chandigarh State Centre in its premises at Chandigarh which was widely attended by all concerned.

Inaugural Session of the function was graced by Dr. S.K. Pattanayak Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India as Chief Guest. Vishwajeet Khanna Additional Chief Secretary, Deptt. of Agriculture, Punjab, Dr. Ashwani Kumar, Joint Secretary to Govt. of India, Deptt. of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Kahan Singh Pannu Secretary, Agriculture, Punjab and Chairman Punjab Pollution Control Board participated as "Guest of Honour". J.P.S. Bindra, General Manager, Nabard, Punjab Regional Office, Chandigarh also participated in the event.

Er. J R Grag Chairman of IEI Punjab Chandigarh State centre welcomed all participants. Nutan K. Dash Chairman, Agriculture Division Board IEI, delivered his address on the theme. Er. PS Bhogal organizing chairman of this seminar presented vote of thanks and also latter presented outcome of this seminar. Valedictory session at the end of seminar was chaired by Er. HCS Berry Past President IEI as Chief Guest. The Key Speakers of the Inaugural/Technical Session–1 Indra Mani Mishra, Head, Agriculture Engg., ICAR- IARI New Delhi and Dr. Jaskaran Singh Mahal, Director, PAU Ludhiana presented on the various issues of Stubble burning involving the challenges and solutions to this issue.

Punjab and other North Western States, neighbouring NCT of Delhi facing Crop Residue Burning for the past 30 years, will now get some relief as the Central Government has joined the state of Punjab for providing enhanced subsidy for farmers  on Agricultural Machinery & Equipment for in-situ management of crop residues. The State of Punjab & other States has been assisted by Govt of India through the active involvement of Prime Minister's Office and the Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Ministry. This has been stated by Dr S. K Pattanayak, I.A.S, Secretary to Government of India in the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, while inaugurating a seminar on Prevention & Solution to Stubble Burning at Engineers Bhawan, Chandigarh. He expressed that everyone is proud of the contributions made by the farmers of the state in producing food grains for the country in hard times but as other states have also followed in terms of production of food grains, the Punjab farmers need to diversify to other crops with more sustainable and locally appropriate systems of production and income from agriculture sector.

The Guest of Honour on the occasion, Additional Chief Secretary, Development, Viswajeet Khanna, addressing the gathering expressed his views that the Punjab has sacrificed its natural resources in terms of water and soil health while producing more food grains for the country in difficult times. Government had to take a saviour step to implement "Punjab Sub Surface Water Preservation Act, in 2009," to put a check on falling ground water that has resulted in shift in transplanting date of Paddy. But this has reduced the time window available for only 15-20 days, between the harvesting of paddy and sowing of wheat & other crops .Secondly, the farmers in Punjab has been growing high yielding varieties of paddy that are also generating huge volume of straw, which is not possible to manage and has escalated the problem resulting in large scale paddy straw burning .

The One Day Seminar organised by Institution of Engineers , Punjab & Chandigarh State Centre for finding solutions to prevention and solution to stubble burning here in Engineers Bhawan , Madhya Marg, Chandigarh. The Institution having its strong base and known for its activities in the country can provide more practical solutions to the problem in the near future. The Seminar attended by delegates from Govt. Departments , Central Institutions , Students from engineering colleges , Progressive Farmers and representatives from industry.

Addressing the delegates, Joint Secretary informed that the cabinet in Government of India has approved a New Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for  In-Situ Management of Crop Residue In the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi, vide which state of Punjab will get Rs. 665.00 crores over a period of 2 years with large scale awareness activities, media campaign, and demonstration of equipment. Under this scheme, 80% subsidy will be provided on single or multiple equipment for In-Situ crop residue management equipment to PACS or Farmer Groups or FPOs  on the Project Cost of Custom Hiring Centre (CHC) for Farm Machinery Banks ranging from 10.00 lakh to 75.00 lakhs and 50 % subsidy to individual farmers for procurement of  these equipment.

Punjab Pollution Control Board, Chairman and Secretary Agriculture, Kahan Singh Pannu, enlightened the gathering, as how far stubble burning is causing damage to soils in the state as well as the production levels besides the environment.  Taking a step towards the solution to the problem, the owners of Combine Harvesters in the state have been intimated that no combine harvester will be allowed to operate in the state during forthcoming paddy harvesting season & there onwards, without Super Straw Management System, which is helpful in chopping and widely spreading the paddy straw has been made mandatory under the Air Act ,1986.

Other Speakers Manmohan Kalia, Nodal Officer Crop Residue Management, Agriculture Department, Sandeep Garg of Eco Laboratories, Dr Sucha Singh Gill , CRRID also addressed the gathering . It has been proposed that the Governments should promote the all known technologies & practices on-board, may it be Residue Management by keeping paddy or wheat straw as mulch and sowing wheat or other crops in the mulch itself or Incorporation of residue in to the soils  and may it be Collection & Removal of Straw out of the fields  as per the local requirements and other techniques such as Compost Making , Generation of Bio CNG , Bio Ethanol , Pelletisation for cattle feed & fuel cakes etc.