In a remarkable achievement, the Punjab Government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, has successfully curbed the alarming practice of paddy straw burning in the state. The government's determined efforts have resulted in a staggering 53% reduction in the number of fire incidents between September 15, 2023, and October 25, 2023, compared to the same period in the previous year, as reported by the authorities.
Punjab, a state renowned for its extensive paddy cultivation across 31 lakh hectares, had been grappling with the significant challenge of managing the vast quantities of paddy straw generated each year, amounting to a massive 20 million tonnes. To tackle this issue comprehensively, the state government adopted a multifaceted approach, encompassing both in-situ (on-field) and ex-situ (off-field) paddy straw management, instigating behavioral change, and closely monitoring the implementation of these initiatives.
In the in-situ category, the government subsidized crop residue management (CRM) machines, offering an 80% subsidy for farmer groups and a 50% subsidy for individual farmers. To ensure timely access to these machines, the state sanctioned the procurement of 24,000 units in September, well before the harvesting season, with 16,000 of these already in use by farmers. Moreover, an allocation of 7.15 Crores was made to districts for establishing custom hiring centers in each block, providing small and marginal farmers with free access to CRM machines. The state now boasts 1.35 lakh CRM machines, and rigorous efforts are underway to maximize their utilization, with weekly reviews conducted by high-level officials to ensure their effective use.
The state has also introduced a cost-effective addition to CRM machines, the surface seeder, which has been adopted by 500 farmers. To further address the issue of paddy straw disposal, the government has actively promoted industries that utilize paddy straw to produce cleaner fuel. This aligns with the state's broader goal of fostering an industry-friendly environment and expanding industrial units. These industries have significantly increased their consumption of paddy straw by 23.4 lakh metric tonnes since 2022, driven by government incentives and streamlined processes for their establishment.
The government's efforts extend to encouraging brick kilns to replace 20% of coal with paddy straw pellets and offering substantial fiscal incentives, to the tune of 25 crores, to the first 50 boilers that use paddy straw as fuel. Land is being leased by the Department of Rural Development for 33 years to industries committed to using paddy straw. Additionally, the government is actively promoting a public-private partnership (PPP) model for purchasing large balers, with a generous 65% subsidy of up to 1 crore for setting up paddy straw supply chains.
Notably, the state has not only created an enabling environment for change but has also implemented robust enforcement measures to effectively monitor and control the situation. A team of 8000 nodal officers conducts daily on-site visits to verify fire incidents, and a data-backed approach is adopted to monitor fire incidents at the village level on a daily basis.
