Malerkotla, October 4 ,2025 Fact Recorder
Punjab Desk: The Malerkotla district administration has launched a new campaign to manage crop residue (stubble) in villages. Under this initiative, officials are engaging directly with farmers at village centers, dharmshalas, religious places, and other community spaces. The campaign aims to motivate farmers to adopt environmentally friendly practices and make the district free from stubble burning.
Deputy Commissioner Viraj S. Tirke and SSP Gagan Ajit Singh participated in the campaign at the village Gwara, raising awareness among farmers about in-situ and ex-situ techniques for crop residue management. They informed that district administration teams are visiting villages morning and evening to educate people about the harmful effects of stubble burning.
Deputy Commissioner Viraj S. Tirke said that to encourage farmers to adopt modern techniques, awareness vans are being deployed at the village level, and local leaders such as sarpanches, panchs, and prominent villagers are also being involved in these efforts. He appealed to farmers to manage crop residue using in-situ and ex-situ methods, leaving a clean and sustainable environment for future generations.
The Deputy Commissioner also shared that a total of 1,378 machines are available in the district for crop residue management, including 1,292 in-situ and 86 ex-situ machines. Farmers will be provided with balers and other machinery in a timely manner to ensure smooth operations.
He further urged farmers to make maximum use of tools and equipment provided by the Agriculture Department on subsidy, such as straw rakes, balers, super SMS, mulchers, paddy straw choppers, reversible plows, happy seeders, super seeders, smart seeders, and surface seeders.
The Deputy Commissioner emphasized that officials must diligently fulfill their responsibilities for environmental cleanliness, water conservation, and sanitation. He stated that strict adherence to the guidelines issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the state government must be ensured.
SSP Gagan Ajit Singh issued strict instructions, stating that stubble burning incidents are under close surveillance. “Hotspot villages are being specially monitored. Actions will be taken based on satellite images and on-site reports. Farmers must commit to protecting the environment by not burning crop residue, otherwise, avoiding legal action will be difficult.”
The campaign was also attended by Sub-Divisional Magistrate Amargarh Surinder Kaur, DSP Sateesh Kumar, Chief Agriculture Officer Dharminderjit Singh, along with officers from various other departments.
 in villages. Under this){kind=link}