Haryana to take decisive action towards making Haryana a stubble-burning-free state- Chief Secretary Dr TVSN Prasad
Chandigarh September 24: In a strong reaffirmation of the Haryana Government’s commitment to combat stubble burning and its detrimental effects on air quality and public health, Chief Secretary Dr. TVSN Prasad urged Deputy Commissioners to take decisive action towards making Haryana a stubble-burning-free state.
During a virtual meeting with Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners and Superintendent of Police from Fatehabad, Jind, Kaithal, Ambala, Sirsa, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Hisar, Sonipat, and Yamunanagar, Dr. Prasad directed to form a four-member committee at the block level to identify hotspots and implement necessary measures to prevent stubble burning incidents. This committee will include the concerned SDM/BDO/Tehsildar, an Agriculture Development Officer, and an officer from Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar and the police department. The committee is required to submit a daily report to the Monitoring and Coordination Department by 5 PM.
"I will personally monitor the situation every single day," said the Chief Secretary, emphasizing that not a single case of stubble burning will be tolerated under any circumstances. He said that on the other hand those officers who performed well in preventing the paddy straw burning will be duly honoured.
The Chief Secretary highlighted the urgent need to raise awareness among farmers about the detrimental effects of burning paddy straw. He directed the Deputy Commissioners to engage with farmers and inform them about the incentive scheme aimed at encouraging responsible crop residue management. He also stressed the importance of conducting night patrols to monitor and prevent incidents of paddy straw burning. Besides, he also asked them to rope in Aarhtiyas regarding motivating farmers against burning paddy straw.
Dr. Prasad reiterated the Haryana government’s unwavering commitment to combat stubble burning and its harmful effects on air quality and public health. He emphasized that a collaborative approach involving all stakeholders is necessary to address this pressing issue effectively. The Chief Secretary emphasized the government’s commitment to optimizing the use of Crop Residue Management (CRM) machinery. These machines, available at Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs), are being fully utilized for in-situ and ex-situ stubble management practices, reducing the need for burning. Additionally, a robust ecosystem is being developed to ensure the continuous utilization of paddy straw, providing farmers with alternative options that are both environmentally friendly and economically viable.
*Substantial Rise in Paddy Cultivation Area
It was informed in the meeting that in the ongoing agricultural cycle of 2024, the area under paddy cultivation in Haryana has expanded to 15.73 lakh hectares. This increase has resulted in a significant rise in paddy straw generation, both for Basmati and non-Basmati varieties.
*Paddy Straw Generation
The Basmati paddy straw generation has reached 4.06 million tons in 2024. Similarly, non-Basmati paddy straw production has risen to 4.04 million tons. The combined total of paddy straw generated in Haryana is now 8.10 million tons.
*Focus on Ex-situ Utilization of Paddy Straw
To address the environmental impact of paddy straw burning and promote its industrial use, Haryana has concentrated on various ex-situ utilization methods. For 2024, a total of 2.54 million tons of paddy straw has been allocated for industrial usage across different sectors.
*Industrial Usage and Applications
The key areas of ex-situ utilization include industrial boilers and furnaces, which have consumed 1.03 million tons of straw, and biomass-based power generation, which has utilized 0.83 million tons. Compressed biogas (CBG) plants have also started using paddy straw with an application of 0.1 million tons, while 2G bio-ethanol plants have utilized 0.2 million tons. Co-firing in thermal power plants (TPPs) accounted for 0.28 million tons, and brick kilns and miscellaneous industries used 0.10 million tons.
The Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Forests and Wildlife Sh Anand Mohan Sharan, Chairman, Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) Sh P. Raghavendra Rao and senior officers of HSPCB were also present in the meeting whereas, Additional Chief Secretary Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Dr Raja Sekhar Vundru and Vice Chancellor of CCHAU, Hisar Prof. B. R. Kamboj virtually attended the meeting.
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The Food Supplies department writes a letter to the Government of India for additional storage to facilitate the delivery of CMR for KMS 2024-25.
60 lakh metric tons of paddy are expected to be procured
Chandigarh, 24 September – In Haryana, all preparations have been completed by the concerned departments and procurement agencies for the smooth purchase and storage of paddy. However, taking a step further to ensure that state procurement agencies and millers do not face difficulties due to a shortage of space after paddy procurement, the Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Department has written a letter to the Government of India urging for additional storage.
Sharing more details in this regard an official spokesperson said that in the letter written to the Government of India, the Department has mentioned that during KMS 2024-25, state procurement agencies are expected to procure around 60 lakh metric tons of paddy, out of which 40 lakh metric tons of rice is to be produced and delivered to the Food Corporation of India by the March 15, 2025, as set by the Government of India. Therefore, to prevent any issues related to storage, the availability of additional storage should be ensured, so that the state's farmers and milllers do not face any inconvenience.
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\Haryana government appoints five IAS officers as special officers for smooth procurement of paddy
The special officers will oversee a new gate pass system and ensure timely procurement of paddy arriving at the mandis
Chandigarh, September 24 - To facilitate the efficient procurement of paddy in Haryana, has appointed five IAS officers as special officers in various districts. These officers will ensure smooth operation of the new system implemented for gate pass in the mandis and immediate government procurement of paddy brought by the farmers with up to 17% moisture. Dr. Anshaj Singh has been assigned as the special officer for Kurukshetra, Jitendra Kumar for Yamunanagar, Pankaj for Kurukshetra, Sujan Singh for Ambala, and Chandra Shekhar Khare for Karnal.
Giving detailed information, the department spokesperson said that the special officers will ensure immediate procurement of paddy from farmers who bring their crops to market with the prescribed moisture content in accordance with government standards. Farmers should not have to wait to sell their crop. Farmers are urged to dry their paddy according to government standards before bringing it to mandis, as this will help streamline the purchasing process and avoid unnecessary delay.
This time, farmers selling their crops at the mandis will not have to wait for the Mandi gate pass. The Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB) has introduced a new system allowing farmers to generate their Mandi gate pass. They can use the e-Kharid mobile application or visit the website/portal (ekharid.haryana.gov.in) to create their passes conveniently.
He said that after making this digital gate pass, farmers will not need to get any other gate pass at the Mandi gate. By scanning the QR code or by entering the self-generated gate pass number, farmers can enter the Mandi directly through this app without any delay or standing in line.
The spokesperson said that necessary instructions have been given to all the procurement agencies and field staff regarding the new system of gate pass. Farmers will not have to face any kind of problem during the procurement process.
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