Haryana govt: 29% dip in stubble-burning cases than last year
According to the state government, ₹223 crore disbursed as incentives between 2020-21 and 2023-24 to promote eco-friendly practices. During the current paddy harvesting cycle so far, a total of 334 challans have been issued against the farmers and that ₹8.45-lakh fine has been recovered from farmers.
The Haryana government on Monday said that as a result of numerous steps taken for crop residue management, including financial assistance given to farmers, 713 farm fire cases (till October 27) have been recorded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) this year, marking a 29% reduction compared to last year.
An official spokesperson said the farmers are being given an incentive of ₹1,000 per acre for managing paddy crop residue, while an incentive of ₹7,000 per acre is provided for adopting alternative crops in place of paddy under the Mera Pani-Meri Virasat Yojana.
“This year, 33,712 farmers have registered for crop diversification, opting for other crops instead of paddy on 66,181 acres. From 2020-21 to 2023-24, incentives worth ₹223 crore have been disbursed to farmers,” the spokesperson said.
The state government said that during the current paddy harvesting cycle so far, a total of 334 challans have been issued against the farmers and that ₹8.45-lakh fine has been recovered from farmers. “In addition, 418 ‘red entries’ have been recorded in the field records of these farmers. Police cases have been registered against 192 farmers,” the spokesperson said, adding that the government is providing subsidised crop management equipment to farmers for both in situ and ex situ management.
From 2018-19 to 2024-25, a total of 1,00,882 crop residue management machines have been made available to farmers at a subsidy of 50% to 80%. This year, farmers have purchased 9,844 machines. The government is offering ₹4,000 per acre incentive for adopting direct seeding of rice (DSR) technology, while gaushalas are also being given an incentive of a maximum ₹15,000 as transportation charges of bales at the rate of ₹500 per acre. “Various industries are being established near villages to utilise stubble, allowing farmers to generate additional income instead of resorting to burning it,” the spokesperson said.
The state government has categorised villages into red, yellow and green zones based on the incidents of paddy stubble burning in the previous year. Panchayats in the red and yellow zones will receive incentives from the government to reduce stubble burning incidents. Red zone panchayats will be awarded an incentive of ₹1 lakh, while yellow zone panchayats will receive ₹50,000 for achieving zero burning targets.
Stating that the state government is creating awareness among farmers at the village level about the importance of not burning stubble, the state government said that 83,070 farmers have registered to manage over 7 lakh acres of paddy area till October 28, 2024. The registration deadline is November 30.