Under the stubble management scheme, government has been providing subsidised stubble management machinery to farmers
With paddy harvesting in Punjab officially getting underway from October 1, the issue of stubble burning is back in focus with government launching awareness programmes, and expediting the delivery of stubble management machinery, with 40 per cent of such equipment already being ready for use in fields.
Under the stubble management scheme, government has been providing subsidised stubble management machinery to farmers for which Centre had approved Rs 665 crore for 2018-19 and 2019-20. Out of the total amount, Rs 269 crore was released before paddy planting of this season. The purpose of this machinery is to reduce stubble burning. Punjab farmers alone produce an estimated 22-23 million tonnes (mt) of paddy straw, of which they set nearly 19 mt on fire — most of it within three weeks time from mid-October till about November 10.
Punjab government had set a target of delivering 24,792 machines before start of paddy harvesting for first year (2018-19) and till October 1, government could deliver 10,042 machines which comes to 40 per cent of the total target while harvesting too has started from October 1.
“We have already supplied 40 per cent machinery which was targeted for the first year (2018- 19) and by October 15 the target will be completed as main harvesting starts only in the second week of October,” said state Nodal Officer for anti-stubble burning campaign, Kahan Singh Pannu, adding that
massive campaign has already been launched in state against burning of straw and farmers are coming forward in large number.
So far, 3164 HappySeeders, 842 Super SMSs, 1105 RMB ploughs, 1672 paddy straw choppers, 1274 zero till drills, 260 rotary slashers and 1,725 rotavators have been made available.
Out of these 10,042 delivered machines, 4625 have been
delivered to individual farmers against target of 8309 machines, 2884 to cooperative societies and rest to Custom Hiring Centres.
Last year, the government had claimed that around 1, 000 out of the 8,000 combines operational in the state have got super SMS attachment and remaining will get soon.
The S-SMS is an attachment that can be fitted into any combine harvester. It ensures that any loose straw thrown by the combine is also cut and spread evenly on the field. While Happy seeder can sow wheat without clearing the stubble spread by S-SMS. Together, the two machines not only dispense with the need for burning paddy residue, but actually allow wheat to be planted on fields without burning.