Haryana: Khattar directs authorities to encourage farmers to not burn crop residue

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday directed concerned officers to encourage farmers to not burn crop residue and also apprise them about different options for the management of crop residue to conserve the environment.

Khattar was presiding over a meeting to review the Crop Residue Management (CRM) scheme here today.

As per the statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office, Khattar was informed in the meeting that 34 per cent reduction has been registered in area burnt in the state till October 22 this year as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

Last year, crop residue burning was reported on 57,000 hectares of land as compared to only about 38,000 hectares. It is also mentioned that there is reduction of 6.5 per cent incidents as compared to last year as on date.

The Chief Minister directed officers of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Department to visit top 10 villages of the state where maximum crop residue burning has been reported so as to ascertain the reason behind this activity.

He said that a cash award of Rs 1,000 would be given to those who would give information about the burning of crop residue in their area and the identity of the person giving the information would be kept secret.

"Discussions should be held on giving the latest instruments and benefits of various schemes for encouraging the farmers to sell the crop residue and adopt crop residue management," Khattar said.

The Chief Minister directed that one Soil Testing Lab should be opened in each mandi of the state in which testing of farmer's land would be conducted. Apart from this, Khattar also instructed that Micro Soil Testing Lab would be set up in every five village.

He directed to launch an extensive Lavanta Mukt Bhoomi (Salinity free Land) campaign in the state. He asked the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare to make efforts to make the saline land cultivable so as to make this land a source of livelihood for such farmers.