A Call for Crop Stubble Solutions: Financial Support for Farmers

MP Raghav Chadha of Aam Aadmi Party has urged for a Rs 2,500 per acre financial aid to Punjab's farmers, highlighting that this could prevent stubble burning, a significant air pollution cause across North India. He also advocates for crop diversification as a long-term solution.

In a bid to address the air pollution crisis choking North India, Aam Aadmi Party's Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has proposed financial aid for farmers in Punjab. During a Zero Hour mention, he requested a Rs 2,500 per acre support to help farmers effectively manage crop stubble, thus preventing its open burning.

Chadha emphasized that while stubble burning, a major contributor to pollution, is often blamed solely on farmers, they act out of compulsion rather than choice. The situation aggravates as farmers have a very narrow window of 10-12 days to clear their fields post-harvest to prepare for the next crop cycle.

He suggests crop diversification as a sustainable long-term solution to reduce the environmental impacts of traditional paddy cultivation. This financial aid, he insists, will alleviate the need for farmers to resort to hazardous practices.

(With inputs from agencies.)