Crop burning is a wrong tradition, stop it: PM Narendra Modi appeals to farmers

He said his government is taking a number of steps aimed at helping farmers abandon the practice.

PM Modi speaking at the Krishi Unnati Mela in New Delhi.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi made on Saturday made a direct appeal to famers in the northern parts of the country to give up the practice of stubble burning. Calling it a 'wrong tradition', PM Modi said his government is taking steps a number of steps aimed at helping farmers abandon stubble burning.

PM Modi's remarks came at the Krishi Unnati Mela, held at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, which is widely known as 'Pusa Institute'.

"In some states in this region, a wrong tradition has been established of setting fire to the crop residue. Some also refer to it as 'stubble burning'… When we grow crops, we draw nutrition from the soil, air, water, sunshine and the strength in the seed. But when we set fire to the crop residue, we end up burning away all the nutrition, which then enters the atmosphere. While this does indeed cause pollution, it also damages the soil of the farmer" said PM Modi.

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— PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 17, 2018

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"I use this platform to again request our farmer brothers to give up the practice of stubble burning… Now, the government is providing financial assistance to farmers to purchase farm equipment. When the environment is cleaner, the field will turn out greener," he added.

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He also said the NDA government is making concerted efforts to promote 'waste to wealth' programmes among farmers. "Farmers can even make money from that residue which they have so far considered most troublesome. Whether it is coir waste or coconut shells or bamboo waste or the residue left on the field after a harvest - work is underway to help convert these things into income generators for farmers," he said.

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PM Modi's comments on 'stubble burning' or 'crop burning' is aimed at the larger goal of preventing the annual ritual which ends up causing days of heavy smog across the northern regions of the country. The thick smog not only causes widespread disruption of transportation services, but also causes long-term respiratory illnesses and temporary breathing difficulties in residents of affected areas.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has cracked down on state governments in the region, pressing on them to take concrete action to address the air pollution.