Rs. 342 Crore Subsidy to Farmers for Agricultural Machinery

The Punjab government is going to grant farmers a subsidy of Rs 342 crore for crop residue treatment on 29,337 agricultural machineries. Agriculture Minister Randeep Singh Nabha provided the information while distributing agricultural machines to the farmers on a subsidized basis at a state-level occasion held in Raishiana on Tuesday. 

During the meeting, Khadoor Sahib MLA Ramanjit Singh Sikki and Tarn Taran MLA Dr Agnihotri spoke to the crowd. Dilraj Singh Randhawa, Agriculture Secretary, and Deputy Commissioner Kulwant Singh were among those who attended the event. 

 Individual farmers, farmer organizations, and cooperative societies in the Tarn Taran area would receive 1,880 agricultural types of machinery, with a subsidy of Rs 24 crore 47 lakh, according to Agriculture Minister Randeep Singh Nabha. 

 This is actually a good effort by the Govt to control the pollution caused in the neighboring states due to the smoke released while burning stubble. Although the affidavit submitted by the central government to the Supreme court states that stubble burning is only responsible for 4% of Delhi’s total pollution, it doesn’t change the fact that India as a whole has  22 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities. 

Hence every percent of the pollution that is decreased would totally help Indians as a whole to breathe fresher air and live longer. 

Crop residue burning is estimated to have emitted 149.24 million tonnes of CO2, over 9 million tonnes of CO, 0.25 million tonnes of sulfur oxides (SOX), 1.28 million tonnes of particulate matter, and 0.07 million tonnes of black carbon, according to a research study. These contribute directly to pollution and are also to blame for Delhi's haze and the melting of Himalayan glaciers. 

The heat from burning paddy straw heats the soil by a centimeter, raising the temperature to 33.8 to 42.2 degrees Celsius. This eliminates the bacterial and fungal communities that are necessary for healthy soil. 

 Burning crop residue harms other microorganisms in the soil's top layer, as well as the organic quality of the soil. The fury of 'enemy' bugs has grown as a result of the loss of 'friendly' pests, making crops more susceptible to disease. 

Stubble burning also affects people According to research undertaken by Vitull K Gupta, professor of medicine at Bathinda, in 2016, 84.5 percent of individuals who were respondents of the study were suffering from health problems as a result of higher pollution levels. It was shown that 76.8 percent of the individuals had irritation in their eyes, 44.8 percent had discomfort in their nose, and 45.5 percent had irritation in their throat. 

41.6 percent of respondents reported coughing or an increase in coughing, while 18.0 percent reported wheezing. According to research conducted by the Bengaluru-based Institute for Social and Economic Change, individuals in rural Punjab spend Rs 7.6 crore per year on treatment for diseases caused by stubble burning. 

This itself is a frightening number hence this initiative taken by the govt to provide machines at a highly subsidized rate to the farmers to mitigate the effects of stubble burning is actually a very good initiative that will totally help India as a whole.