Punjab: PPCB organises street plays to aware farmers on stubble burning

Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) on Monday in association with Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) launched an awareness campaign, including organizing of street plays, on the issue of stubble burning.

KS Pannu, Secretary of Department of Agriculture, Punjab told ANI: "After harvesting farmers burn to set the straw stubble that remains after rice, wheat and other grains. Due to this fire, the smoke spreads in the environment, which affects the environment, soil and also the health of the people."

"Punjab government is running several campaigns to aware farmers to not burn stubbles. We are organizing to aware the farmers that they did not set stubbles on fire. Because of these campaigns, millions have stop burning stubbles," he said.

"We need a technology which will help farmers in setting straw stubbles. Last year we gave 28,000 machines to the farmers and this year too we are giving 20,000 machines. Along with machines, we are also running awareness programmes through print and electronic media," he added.

Pannu further said that with SIAM vans they will go to different places and aware people with the help of street plays and other visuals. "Stubble burning is the only reason for smog in Delhi and other states."

We think that the problem of pollution is everyone's problem, because of which we are completely in cooperation with the Punjab government. Last year, in nine villages we ran this programme and 75 per cent of burning in those areas is stopped," said Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director of SIAM.

"Today we through street play and videos we will aware farmers and we hope that people will stop stubble burning," Banerjee said.