1 day ago
Punjab CM Mann Seeks Wider Campaign to Curb Stubble Burning
Punjab grows a lot of rice, which leaves behind large amounts of straw.
Some farmers burn this straw, which can harm the environment.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann wants more people to help stop this practice.
He asked officials to take awareness activities into villages and blocks.
NGOs, social workers, village councils and farmers are being asked to participate.
The campaign may include demonstrations, street plays, meetings and pledges.
Radio, television, newspapers, text messages and social media will also be used.
The state says stubble-burning incidents dropped sharply between 2023 and 2025, but it wants them to fall further.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ordered a multi-level awareness campaign against paddy-straw burning.
About 30 lakh hectares of paddy planted this year are expected to produce 18.81 million tonnes of straw.
The state reported stubble-fire incidents falling from 36,663 in 2023 to 5,114 in 2025.
Mann urged NGOs, social workers, panchayats, sarpanches and farmers to join village- and block-level efforts.
The proposed campaign includes machinery demonstrations, street plays, media outreach and stronger straw-management measures.
- Who
- Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, state officials, NGOs, social workers, panchayats and farmers.
- What
- A broad awareness and information campaign to reduce paddy-straw burning and promote straw-management alternatives.
- Where
- Punjab, with activities planned at village and block levels; the meeting was held in Chandigarh.
- When
- The meeting and announcement took place on September 1; the article says the campaign is intended for this year.
- Why
- To reduce the harmful environmental effects of paddy-straw burning and build on the reported decline in incidents.
Key facts
- Paddy area this year
- Around 30 lakh hectares in Punjab
- Expected straw output
- 18.81 million tonnes
- Stubble fires in 2023
- 36,663 incidents
- Stubble fires in 2024
- 10,909 incidents
- Stubble fires in 2025
- 5,114 incidents
- Reported reduction
- 86 per cent from 2023 to 2025
- Planned outreach
- Village and block campaigns supported by digital, multimedia and field activities
Quotes
Bhagwant Mann
Chief Minister of Punjab
“A detailed digital plan should be implemented covering radio jingles, print media, television, mobile SMS and outdoor media. The social media awareness campaign should also be conducted on a big scale to create wider awareness about the harmful effects of paddy straw burning and the available management options.”
theprint.in
“NGOs and social workers should be roped into motivating farmers. Machinery demonstrations, nukkad nataks, meetings with sarpanches, pledge-taking activities and other awareness programmes must be organised extensively so that the message reaches farmers at the grassroots level.”
theprint.in
Sources
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