To curb the menace of straw burning in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal Thursday announced incentives of Rs.1 lakh and Rs.1 crore as financial grants to villages and districts which were free from stubble burning across the state.
Pointing out that burning of paddy straw was a health hazard and added to air pollution, he said that the incentive was being offered to motivate people.
"Merely resorting to punitive measures to end this curse would not yield any positive results unless the people were properly motivated to give up this anti-environment and pollution-causing phenomena," Badal said at a workshop organized by union environment, forest and climate change ministry, Central Pollution Control Board and Punjab Pollution Control Board here.
He called upon the central and state governments, agriculture scientists, environment experts and farmers to join hands for putting an end to the unhealthy practice.
Badal said that farmers were keen to grow crops in quick succession for better returns. He urged that farmers should be properly trained to make use of the latest agriculture implements and machinery which enable them to get the straw mixed into the soil, thereby enhancing the fertility of soil besides killing soil-friendly insects.
He said that central schemes offered liberal incentives on farm equipment and machinery to encourage farmers to stay away from the menace of straw burning.
