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State will reduce paddy straw burning instances by 50%, Punjab Chief Secy tells CAQM
Punjab chief secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua has assured the Commission for Air Quality Management that the state will reduce the fire instances by 50% in comparison with 2022.
Punjab chief secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua has assured the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) that the state will reduce the fire instances by 50% in comparison with 2022.
The chief secretary gave this assurance in a meeting held by Dr MM Kutty, chairperson of the CAQM in the National Capital Region (NCR), with senior officers and all deputy commissioners of the state. The meeting discussed the plan for paddy crop residue management in respect of the coming Kharif harvesting season in Punjab. “The state government is taking every step to effectively tackle air pollution,” the chief secretary said.
The deputy commissioners briefed the chairperson about the steps taken by the state government for crop residue management. Dr Kutty was happy with the steps taken by Punjab to curb stubble burning and congratulated on a 30% reduction in the number of fire instances, according to an official release. The CAQM chairperson directed all the DCs to prepare action plans for 2023 in advance. He appreciated the districts of Ludhiana and Malerkotla which are doing exceptional work.
Janjua highlighted the initiatives taken by the state government for managing stubble, including solving issues of ex-situ industries, promoting crop diversification and providing adequate in-situ management machines. “On the directions of the chief minister, the state government is working on using paddy straw as animal fodder, promoting cotton crop and sowing the short duration variety of paddy,” he said, adding, “Awareness campaign will be held for farmers regarding harmful effects of paddy straw burning especially on the soil fertility.”
During the meeting, CAQM member secretary Arvind Nautiyal put forward a presentation on in-situ and ex-situ management strategies and the way forward for the state. Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) chairman Adarsh Pal Vig briefed the participants about steps taken by the board to counter air pollution. The principal secretary, power, Tejveer Singh, secretary, environment, Sumer Singh Gurjar and the PPCB member secretary were also present.
