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.