Punjab CM seeks support to shun stubble burning

Chandigarh: Hailing the progressive farmers who have refrained from burning paddy stubble, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday called upon them to join the state in launching a massive campaign to persuade the farming community to give up this practice.

Addressing a group of farmers, Amarinder Singh said that these agents of change had done yeoman's service to humanity by helping create a pollution-free environment.

He said their experiences and expertise must be replicated by one and all to save the fertility of soil on the one hand, and prevent environmental pollution on the other.

Emphasising the need to make judicious use of the swiftly depleting groundwater, the Chief Minister said that it was the duty of the farming community to save water for future generations or else the state would soon become a desert and the entire agricultural economy would be devastated.

He stressed that diversification of agriculture, coupled with techniques like drip irrigation, was the only answer to the problem of water depletion.

Lauding the professionals and agricultural technocrats who are taking up agriculture as a full-time profession, the Chief Minister said their contribution, especially in putting the latest technological advancements in the field of agriculture into practice, would further motivate the farmers to adopt new techniques to enhance crop productivity.

Amarinder Singh also complimented the efforts of the Agriculture Department in motivating the farmers to shun stubble burning by creating awareness among them.

This, he said, has resulted in reducing the incidents of stubble burning by 10 per cent compared to last year.