Punjab Farmers
Punjab Farmers: Amidst concerns about pollution in Delhi due to stubble burning by farmers of Punjab, farmers are now looking for alternatives to dispose of their crops in a proper and sustainable manner. In fact, if farmers burn stubble every year, the environment in the capital of the country becomes badly polluted. Clear guidelines have also been given to the farmers on this many times. Meanwhile, farmers are now looking for alternatives to burn the stubble so that there is no chance of pollution. Learn about the case in detail.
Some farmers in Punjab have begun to dispose of crop residues in a sustainable manner, whether using it as a natural fertilizer or selling it for fuel production. Usually crop residues are burnt which causes air pollution. Farmers are now using the stubble as a natural fertilizer instead of setting it on fire or selling it to make fuel. The farmers of the state have not only reduced the consumption of fertilizers by mixing crop residues in the soil, but have also started earning money by managing the stubble of other growers.
‘MB plow’ became beneficial for farmers
Bhupinder Singh (59), who cultivates about 30 acres of his land in Badarpur, the last village in Mohali district, has not been burning paddy straw since 2018. Instead he is mixing it into the soil using a tillage tool called ‘MB plow’. After this the land becomes ready for sowing the next crop i.e. wheat, he said. He says that within a week of mixing in the soil, the crop residues start decomposing on their own. Singh said, “With the addition of stubble to the soil, the consumption of fertilizer has come down. Earlier, we used to use potash before sowing the wheat crop. “Farmers don’t want to burn stubble,” he said.
Tools for Crop Residue Management being provided in ‘Farmers Club’
In Bhupinder Singh’s village, about 70 percent of the farmers have stopped burning stubble. Singh has been honored at the state and national level for better management of crop residues. In Badarpur, the growers have set up a ‘Farmers Club’ from where they provide tools to the farmers for crop residue management. Bhupinder said, “We have machines like MB plow, mulcher, happy seeder, zero till drill, which are rented out to other farmers of nearby villages. However, no fee is charged from small farmers for the use of these machines.
Crop residues are sold to the factory
Amarjeet Singh (48) of village Burj Tahal Das in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district is also not burning stubble since last 15 years. He also encourages others to follow in his footsteps. Amarjeet Singh, who cultivates about 100 acres of land in Theri village of Mohali, says he sells the crop residue to a nearby factory that converts it into fuel. He gives machines like ‘Happy Seeder’, ‘Super Seeder’, Plow, ‘Mulcher’ to some other farmers to stop polluting the environment.