Punjab CM urges farmers to avail subsidy scheme to curb stubble burning

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday reiterated the commitment of the government to address pollution by highlighting the 'Crop Residue Management Loan Scheme' to help farmers get access to machinery for disposing off stubble instead of burning it.

Highlighting the scheme in a post on X, the Punjab CM said that the government is committed to addressing pollution which is caused by stubble burning.

"Our government is committed to addressing the pollution caused by stubble burning. To support this mission, we have introduced the 'Crop Residue Management Loan Scheme' through cooperative banks across Punjab," the post read.

The scheme is designed to provide farmers with Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines with a 50 to 80 per cent subsidy on their costs.

"This initiative is designed to empower our farmers by providing access to vital machinery for stubble disposal, with subsidies ranging from 50 to 80 percent. We urge all farmers to take full advantage of this remarkable opportunity and contribute to a cleaner, greener Punjab," he added in the post.

Notably, stubble burning has been a concern in Delhi and neighbouring states as the onset of winter traps pollutants, which leads to hazardous air quality and thick smog. The burning of crop residue in states like Punjab and Haryana reaches Delhi and also poses severe health risks to residents.

With the onset of stubble burning season, 'flying squads' have been deployed in several districts of Haryana and Punjab to monitor such incidents.

Flying Squads will assess the ground-level situation and report to the Commission and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) "on a daily basis", including the steps taken to prevent further incidents of paddy stubble burning in the allocated district, the Ministry of Environment said.

In a recent statement, the Ministry of Environment said the Flying Squads of CPCB, assisting CAQM, have been deployed to identified hotspot districts in Punjab and Haryana from October 1, 2024 to November 20, 2024, where paddy stubble burning incidences are generally higher.