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A two-day workshop on ‘Sustainable Approaches for Management of Crop Residues’ was organized by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, S.A.S. Nagar for the officials of district Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Horticulture and Soil Conservation Departments. Thirty-eight officials from these 3 departments participated in this workshop. This workshop was held to deliberate upon the various aspects of stubble burning and technological updating of officials of concerned departments. Dr. Vikas Phulia and Dr. Harmeet Kaur, the organizing secretaries of this workshop moderated this event. In the inaugural address, Associate Director KVK, Dr. Parminder Singh welcomed the delegates and highlighted the activities done by KVK, SAS Nagar and their parent organization Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana regarding in-situ and ex-situ management of crop residues in last three years. Dr. Singh mentioned that the pollution emanating from the burning of crop residues has become a significant environmental and political issue in recent years. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi through its vast network of KVKs and Punjab State Govt. through agriculture and other allied departments have vigorously sensitized farmers regarding the ill effects of stubble burning and encouraged them to mix the residue in the field rather than burning it. The concerned departments have collectively succeeded to a large extent in persuading the farmers to shun the practice of stubble burning. However, the target of 0% stubble burning is far away.
The chief-guest of the inaugural session, Dr. R.K. Raheja, Chief Agriculture Officer opined that crop residue burning is not just an environmental issue but a menace to the society considering its widespread implications. He also discussed the existing challenges faced by farmers for management of crop residues. The short time window between the harvesting of paddy and sowing of next crop is the major bottleneck to achieve the target of zero stubble burning. Dr. Dinesh Kumar, Deputy Director, Horticulture underscored the need for better coordination between KVK and other concerned departments to chalk out a common strategy to ensure no stubble burning of residues in the district takes place. He also lauded team KVK to organize this workshop on the topic which assumes great importance for the environment and society. Dr. Harjinder Singh, Divisional Soil Conservation Officer, Mohali stressed upon the significance of crop residues in maintaining soil health and gave an insight of severe damage caused to the soil if these residues are burnt. Dr. Vikas Phulia showcased glimpses of activities performed by KVK Mohali in the last three years under crop residue management. Dr. Harmeet Kaur explained the destructive effects of stubble burning on environment and human health. Dr. Munish Sharma discussed the utilization of crop residues in horticulture. Dr. Harshneet Singh from KVK Ludhiana shared detailed information on the role of crop residues in maintaining soil health. A lecture on safe and efficient use of crop residue management machinery was delivered by Dr. Opinder Singh from KVK Rupnagar. S. Navjot Singh Brar discussed regarding in-situ crop residue management through happy seeder. Dr. Parul Gupta discussed the domestic uses of crop residues. The technical session was preceded by interactive session on the day two in which the participants shared their experiences, challenges and the way forward for effective management of crop residues. The participants thanked KVK Mohali for providing them a common platform to share their experiences and knowledge enhancement.
