Ex-Sarpanch becomes example for Moga’s villagers to shun stubble burning
Over 95% of farmers in Ransih Kalan village didn't put a matchstick to crop residue in 2018
MOGA, August 22, 2019: Following the footsteps of the former Sarpanch, the majority of villagers in the Ransih Kalan village, about 30 kilometres from the district headquarters, had completely stopped putting a matchstick to crop residue and using eco-friendly stubble management machines to cultivate the wheat crop.
Preet Inderpal Singh, 29, of Ransih Kalan village, when elected Sarpanch in 2013, had shunned the practice of stubble burning after he realised that this process pollutes the environment besides inviting several diseases for the villagers. “Being the youngest Sarpanch in the village, I wanted to bring a change in the village and make a healthy environment for the villagers then I had decided to stop the stubble burning from my own field,” he said.
Singh said that then he along with his friends in the village had started a campaign to spread awareness about ill-effects of the stubble burning among the villagers. “I am glad that the drive we had started, has finally bear fruits as in 2018 at least 95% of the village farmers had not put a matchstick to crop residue and ploughed the crop residue in the fields,” he claimed.
He said that shunning stubble burning besides saving villagers from diseases and environment from pollution, has also resulted in increasing the yield of a crop by two-three quintals per acre.
Chief Agriculture Officer (CAO) Moga Dr Balwinder Singh, while appreciating the initiative of the Preet Inderpal Singh said that this is the need of an hour that such youngsters should come forward to preserve the deteriorating environment from the pollution.
He said that the Punjab Agriculture Department has also initiated a massive drive to make Punjab a ‘zero stubble burning state’ and has been providing agro-machines/farm equipment to farmers with huge subsidies. He said that in this drive over 600 farm equipments are expected to be provided to the farmers of the Moga district with a subsidy component of Rs 10.42 crore in this season.
CAO Dr Balwinder Singh also urged the farmers to make optimum use of subsidized agri-machinery to do away the practice of stubble burning thereby ensuring health and hygiene of the people besides preserving the environment of the state.