150 farmers honoured for not burning crop residue in Punjab, says speaker

Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Saturday exhorted farmers not to burn stubble so as to keep the environment clean and pollution free.

He was addressing a gathering here in an event in which 150 progressive farmers from across the state were honoured for not setting the crop residue on fire for the last five years, according to an official release here.

Sandhwan said crop residue burning causes damage to other microorganisms present in the upper layer of the soil as well as its organic quality.

Speaking on this occasion, Environment Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said it is a matter of happiness that farmers are giving up stubble burning practice.

Due to pollution, not only the lungs are damaged, many other type of health diseases affect the human being, he stated.

Hayer appealed to progressive farmers to spread the message of not burning crop residue in villages.

The minister also expressed happiness that the young generation is now participating in plantation campaigns in a big way.

He also spoke about the state government's campaign in which mini forests are being set up at various places in the state.

In the event, experts from the Agriculture Department sensitised the public about the ill-effects of stubble burning, its alternative methods and about the efforts being made by the government to control the same.

A "nukkad natak" was performed by the artistes illustrating the effects of pollution caused by stubble burning on health and the environment.

During the function, several progressive farmers also shared their experiences with the audience regarding the benefits of not burning the crop residue.

They also spoke about increase in land fertility and less requirement of fertilisers by mixing stubble in soil.