Paddy stubble burning is mainly practiced in Indo-Gangetic plains of the States of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to clear the fields for Rabi crop sowing.  To support the efforts of the Governments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi to address air pollution and to subsidize machinery required for in-situ management of crop residue, a Central Sector Scheme on ‘Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi’ is being implemented from 2018-19. Under this scheme financial assistance @ 50% of the cost of machinery is provided to the farmers for purchase of crop residue management machinery and financial assistance @ 80% of the project cost is provided to the Cooperative Societies of Farmers, Farmers Producers Organization (FPOs), Registered Farmers Societies and Panchayats for establishment of Custom Hiring Centres of crop residue management machinery. The available central funds under the scheme are allocated to the States based on annual action plans of the States duly approved by the State Level Executive Committee and funds utilization status of the State. Under this scheme, during the period from 2018-19 to 2020-21, 30961 Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) have been established and a total of more than 1.5 lakh crop residue management machines have been supplied to these CHCs and individual farmers of these four States.

As per the agricultural statistics 2019-20, the contribution of the States of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in total paddy production of India was 9.91 percent, 4.06 percent and 13.05 percent, respectively.

The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare is implementing Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) in all the States and the machines identified for crop residue management viz. Super Straw Management System (SMS) for Combine Harvesters, Happy Seeders, Hydraulically Reversible MB Plough, Paddy Straw Chopper/Shredder, Mulcher, Shrub Master, Rotary Slasher, Zero Till Seed Drill, Rotavator, Super Seeder, Crop Reaper/Reaper Binder, Straw Baler and Rakes are also included for financial assistance under SMAM.  

This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in Lok Sabha today.

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APS