Haryana deadline for subsidy distribution to stem stubble-burning

Chandigarh : The Haryana government has set September 20 as the deadline for all Deputy Commissioners to ensure physical verification and distribution of subsidy to farmers to curb burning of paddy residue that causes environmental pollution.

The subsidy is given to farmers for purchasing equipment to manage the crop residue and not to burn it instead.

Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Department Principal Secretary Abhilaksh Likhi held a meeting with all Deputy Commissioners through videoconferencing here on Wednesday.

He said that Haryana has been making concerted efforts to check burning of crop residue.

"Rewari district has set a record in giving subsidy to all applicant farmers in both individual and custom hiring centre categories," Likhi said. He said that Deputy Commissioners in other districts have been directed to accelerate the pace of subsidy distribution.

Likhi said that the Haryana State Pollution Control Board has provided a list to Deputy Commissioners of villages where fires due to burning of crop residue took place in 2016.

"The Deputy Commissioners have been asked to advise sarpanches concerned not to allow anyone in their respective villages to burn crop residue," the officer said.

As a state survey had reported that crop residue burning incidents occur in 587 villages, Likhi directed the Deputy Commissioners concerned to launch a special campaign in such villages to make farmers aware.

The burning of crop residue leads to air pollution in north Indian states of Punjab and Haryana and National Capital Region-Delhi.