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Sofas made out of stubble catch visitors’ fancy at PAU
Stubble from half acres was used to make four sofas and centre tables
After converting stubble into jewellery, floor mats, Punjab Agricultural University has now turned straw into outdoor sofas and centre tables.
The furniture made from straw is catching people’s fancy and has become an attraction for those visiting the university.
The judicious use of stubble has been showcased amidst raging debate of rising incidents of stubble burning across the state.
Anil Sharma, assistant director, Communication Centre, who is also known for writing jingles to exhort farmers not to set paddy straw on fire, is the brain behind designing the furniture from paddy residue.
He said that half-acre stubble was used for building the outdoor arrangement, consisting of four sofas and centre tables.
“Going through the paddy fields recently, I spotted these rectangular bales strewn in the fields by a progressive farmer and thought why not use these bales for outdoor sitting arrangement. I shared the idea with TS Riar, additional director of communication and skill development centre, who encouraged me to go ahead with the project,” said Sharma.
He arranged the bales with the help of other employees in his office. The bales were first wrapped with polythene and covered with garden net and other waste material. “The set of four sofas and centre tables cost us Rs 2,000. As the stubble is compressed and wrapped with polythene it is unlikely that it could gather moisture and fungus so it could be used for a few years,” Sharma added.
The move also earned the appreciation from vice-chancellor Baldev Singh Dhillon. He said that even the community sciences department was making jewellery, artwork, floor mattress and other items from stubble. “We are encouraging farmers to take such initiatives, but there are some who are setting their fields on fire and causing air pollution,” said Dhillon.
Riar said that instead of constructing cemented sitting arrangements in villages and cities, such cost-effective measures should be adopted in public parks and gardens across the state to tackle the stubble burning menace.
Recently, additional chief secretary-cum-financial commissioner, development, Anirudh Tiwari during his visit had shown keen interest in the artwork from paddy stubble.
