Farmers' make a difference, reduce air pollution in 34 adopted villages

Ludhiana: As the pollution levels in the state has risen due to the ongoing paddy harvesting season, a group of trained farmers have made a difference and managed to reduce air pollution in 34 villages adopted by them to check stubble burning by motivating farmers.

Apart from educating farmers about the ill effects of stubble burning, the group has also promoted use of machinery to check the practice.

“Five years ago, we would see stubble being burnt and the repercussions it would have on soil as well as humans. We then started a mission against stubble burning from a village in Moga. After talking to farmers in many villages of Barnala, Sangrur, Moga and Ludhiana districts, we found that by motivating and creating awareness among farmers we could bring a change among them so that they give up the practice of burning the crop residue,” said Dr Harminder Singh, a homeopath-cum-progressive farmer, who is one of the directors of the Gadri Baba Dulla Singh Giani Nihal Singh Foundation, which works against stubble burning.

“With sustained efforts along with a team of experts from various departments and groups, we were successful in bringing a change in 11 villages in Raikot area and ensured that farmers didn’t burn stubble in more than 11,000 acre land. After getting encouraging results, we decided to adopt 34 villages in Raikot area this year to educate and create awareness among villagers to give up the practice. We are happy that farmers in more than 40,000 acre did not burn stubble in the ongoing paddy harvesting season,” he said.

The founder of the foundation said they had around a thousand members which include four to five trained farmers in every village they had adopted.

He said they had around four WhatsApp groups with around 300 members each and used these groups to make farmers aware on what material should be used for healthy agricultural practices.

Sidhu, 42, who was honoured by the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) and the Union department of agriculture and farmers’ welfare during a function organised at New Delhi in September, said their work had begun many months before the onset of the paddy harvesting season. He said they held three to four meetings every month in each adopted village to aware farmers about the benefits of not burning stubble.

“During such meetings in villages, we tell farmers that the soil structure gets damaged because of stubble burning apart from affecting the human health. We also tell them about the benefits of incorporating stubble in the soil and how it enriches the same. We do inform them about how cost of sowing is saved by around 50%, use of pesticides is decreased, weeds do not infest in the crops, and the quality of crops improves. We inform them about the use of machinery for such activity,” said the director of the foundation, who belongs to Jalaldiwal and has not burnt stubble for more than five years now.

He said apart from villages like Jalaldiwal, Rajgarh, Govindgarh, Bassiyan, Jauraan, Nihaluwal, Sehwajpura, Daddahor, Boparai Khurd, they have worked in villages of Barnala, including Mehal Kalan, Nehaluwal, Kalal Majra and Kirpal Singh Waala besides some villages in Sangrur and Moga districts.

The founder of the foundation said with increased awareness among farmers, four machinery banks had been set up at Sehbajpura, Daddahor, Johlam and Jalaldiwal villages.

He said apart from those farmers who have set up such banks, other farmers also used the machinery, including happy seeder, rotavators, mulcher and MB plough (used for sowing seeds after incorporating stubble in the soil) at nominal cost of Rs 150 to Rs 200 per hour depending on the type of machines.

Those running such banks said they were happy with the change.

“After coming to know about the ill effects of stubble burning and benefits of incorporating stubble into fields, we, a group of eight farmers, set up the machinery bank last year. Not only are we proud of the fact that we don’t indulge in stubble burning and pollute the air and soil, but are happy that we have increased the productivity by incorporating the stubble (with the help of machines) into soil. The profit has increased and bond between farmers has become stronger,” said 52-year-old Gurtej Singh, a progressive farmer, who has not burnt stubble in his 15-acre farm land for the last many years. His son had suffered respiratory problem because of the smoke during the harvesting season.

He said they gave two happy seeders, MB plough, rotavator, chopper etc of the bank on rent to around 25 farmers.

Farmers say that there was an improvement in the air quality in villages where large numbers of farmers had given up burning stubble.

“The foundation is doing a great job in villages by creating awareness among farmers about the ill effects of stubble burning and benefits of incorporating stubble in soil. In our village, many farmers have given up the practice and there is a visible improvement in the air quality during the harvesting season. Earlier, one could see smoke-engulfed air. The increased awareness has solved the problem to a larger extent,” said Darshan Singh of Rajgarh village, where the foundation has worked.

He said many years ago elderly and children in the village would suffer the most during the paddy harvesting season because of stubble burning, but things have changed now.

-------------------------------

One of the directors of the foundation had suffered because of environmental pollution. Tota Singh, 33, a progressive farmer of Dina Sahib village and director of the foundation, said his nine-year-old son had genes-related problem which was because of environmental issue.

He said his main reason to start the campaign was because of the problem faced by his son.

“We started a campaign about five years ago from our village and now we have adopted a cluster of villages in Raikot apart from working in Moga, Barnala, Sangrur and Ludhiana districts,” said.

He added they raised their voice against the practice and found for the same as well.

-------------------------------------

Members of the foundation said during the harvesting season, they stayed in villages for several days and provided technical assistance to farmers. They said they were also in the process of setting up air quality check machines in villages.