The programme will now be expanded to Fatehabad, Sirsa, Jind, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Yamuna Nagar, and Karnal, which account for approximately 90% of fires in the state, according to Narhari Bangar, Director, Haryana Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.
Deloitte India said in a statement that it has finished its pilot climate leadership project on "Crop Residue Management" (CRM), which had helped minimize stubble burning events and regulate air pollution in the region. The pilot project began in the red zone villages of Karnal district and resulted in a 69% reduction in stubble burning events. It stated that the plan includes mobilizing farmers, communities, and private sector partners.
A key component of the outreach was a bilingual smartphone application called "Krishi Yantra Sathi," which was aimed to bring together all essential players, including local farmers, custom hiring centres (CHC), and farmer producer organizations (FPOs). The main goal was to match the farmer's demand for agricultural residue management equipment with the correct equipment owners in order to efficiently and quickly assign the machinery.
According to the statement, this proposal encouraged the use of more cost-effective and ecologically friendly stubble while also creating job opportunities in local areas.
Furthermore, farmers in the Karnal area were made aware of the negative effects of stubble burning in order for them to better comprehend the government programmes and schemes available for stubble management. Since 2018, farmers have received CRM subsidies totaling 90 crore. Furthermore, Bangar stated that an 18 crore equipment subsidy will be extended this year.
In addition," Aditya Partap Dabas, Deputy Director, Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Karnal, said, "any farmer in Karnal district who adopted the 'Parali Fasal Prabandhan' will receive a subsidy of 1,000 per acre."
"One of the many causes of stubble burning is the inability to obtain stubble removal equipment such as super-seeders and balers at the appropriate time. Deloitte supports this project by providing a sustainable ecosystem that helps bridge the equipment availability gap," stated Viral Thakker, Partner and Sustainability Head, Deloitte India.
To alleviate the shortage of equipment, Deloitte, through the Haryana State CSR Trust, is donating 15 pieces of CRM equipment to the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare in Karnal, including tractors, slashers, hay rakes, balers, trolleys, and lucky seeders.
After a transparent and competitive bidding process, the department has selected a group of individual farmers, FPOs, and entrepreneurs who will get the equipment during an event on Friday in Karnal.
