With carpet ban on ‘stubble burning’, farmers in the adjoining State of Haryana are faced with dilemma as they need to clear the stubble on their land in a short window span of about a fortnight or so before sowing the next crop. But in the backdrop of the fact that they are not allowed to get rid of stubble by just burning it but are required to use specialised farm equipments which they are finding both “costly” and “non-viable” and thus the farmers are left in lurch, said Kisan union.
The measures taken by the Government to aid and assist farmers in adopting the “in-situ” management of crop residue like the Custom Hiring Centers (CHC) cut no ice with the farmers. Most of the farmers were unaware about the CHC and have no clue about where there nearest CHC is located and how to get the equipments related to Straw Management System (SMS) from there.
While the administration keeps imposing fine of Rs 2500 per acre on the erring farmers for burning their farm stubble, it is hardly a deterrent for the big farm holders. According to an official, CHCs aim at ensuring proper management of crop residue and to prevent farmers from burning it. All machines and tools related to agriculture are claimed to be made available in these centers and farmers can take agricultural machines or equipments on rent at nominal rates for farming works.
However contrary to the tall claims of Haryana Government that Custom Hiring Centers (CHC) is feasible option for the eco-friendly disposal of farm stubble, farmers in Karnal said the 50 per cent subsidy provided on the equipments is not provided at first instance but is rather paid as reimbursement due to which farmers hesitate in purchasing it.
Sewa Singh Arya, National Vice-President of one faction of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), said the paddy crop had retained moisture due to the recent rains and harvesting would be further delayed. “Farmers will be forced to burn the paddy residue to clear the land for the wheat crop. The majority of poor farmers are not in a position to get machinery to remove the stubble even at subsidised rates,” said Arya.
“Also availability of Happy Seeder and other machines for stubble management with farmers and custom hiring centres (CHCs) established in the state are too inadequate to manage nearly 70 lakh MT of stubble which is likely to be produced in the state this season,” said Arya. Krishan, a farmer and a former sarpanch of village Margain, also known as Nangla Farms, said some of villagers have formed groups to get access to the subsidised machinery.
“If you ask for numbers of farmers using these machines I will say only five to six farmers have used these machines. Even if we ask them to provide machines, they are busy in harvesting their crop leaving us with no other option but to burn stubble in our farms. Even at subsidised rates, poor farmers cannot hire them. Some kind of assistance by the government in removing stubble from every acre of land is required,” said Krishan adding that burning paddy straw was the only option left to the majority of farmers even this year.
Haryana Agriculture Department, from September 15 to October 15, have issued 1111 challans to farmers across the state for burning stubble and also collected around Rs 3 lakh fine from the farmers found violating the guidelines.
Yet, the farmers continue to burn stubble because they believe that hiring machinery to remove paddy will cost them more than fines.
Ramesh Battan, another farmer in Phurlak near Gharaunda said that he sowed paddy on 32 acres and it would be ready for harvest in a few days. “The village has paddy on nearly 2,200 acres, but has only one Happy Seeder with a farmer and it can manage 6-7 acres in a day. A Happy Seeder of Rs 1.50 lakh costs Rs 75,000 after subsidy. But it will be used only for six hours in the whole year. How can a farmer invest so much on a machine which is to be used for six hours a year?,” he asked.
