Webinar on “Sustainable Solutions to Straw Burning Problem” on 7th Nov (Saturday) at 3.30 pm

Webinar on “Sustainable Solutions to Straw Burning Problem” on 7th Nov (Saturday) at 3.30 pm

The issue of straw/stubble burning and its impact on loss of soil fertility and adding to air pollution is a well-known issue and figures prominently in public debates at this time of the year annually. Many solutions are also being proposed on it – it appears that most proposed solutions including criminalising/penalising farmers do not come with a good understanding of farmers’ issues.

In this ASHA webinar co-hosted with Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, Kheti Virasat Mission and Kudrati Kheti Abhiyan on 7th Nov Saturday at 3:30 pm, we hear from Punjab and Haryana farmers, a government representative in Punjab and an agricultural scientist about sustainable solutions to tackle straw burning.

Zoom meeting ID: 88953308668; Passcode: 758148

Presentation by Dr G V Ramanjaneyulu can be accessed here: In English; In Hindi

SPEAKER PROFILES

1. Shri Manbir Redhu is from Igraha village of Jind district in Haryana. He owns 6.15 acres of land and heads Dr Surendar Dalal Keet Saksharata Mission which seeks to educate and convert farmers towards non-chemical pest management in crops. He is a farmer who never burnt paddy or wheat straw. He is an organic farmer. Ph: 9467103846
2. Dr Harminder Sidhu is a homeoepath doctor and farmer from Jalaldiwal village in Ludhiana district in Punjab. He farms on 15 acres of land, with some of the land under organic farming since 2006. From 2014 onwards, he has been running active campaigns locally to get farmers in his area to stop stubble burning practice. Ph: 9781800432
3. Smt Savita Malik is from Lalitkheda village in Jind district in Haryana. Her farming is on 5 acres of land without synthetic pesticides. She is associated with Dr Surendar Dalal Keet Saksharata Mission where she trains other farmers including male farmers on non-chemical pest management. She got into paddy farming only recently. Ph: 8607811887
4. Shri Anirudh Vashisht is a 50-acre farmer, from Sansarpur village in Sangrur district in Punjab. For nine years now, he has been doing organic farming in some of his land. He used to burn paddy straw earlier but has given up that practice now. Ph: 9814689114
5. Shri Jitender Miglani is a 28-acre farmer from Faridpur village in Karnal district in Haryana. He has been doing organic farming since 2013. Initially there were some hiccups and due to family pressure, part of family holding was reconverted to chemical farming but it turned out to be less profitable than the organic part. So, the very next year, it was back to organic farming. Besides cereals like paddy-wheat, pulses, he also grows vegetables. Rather than burn or sell paddy straw, he buys paddy straw from other farmers for mulching purposes. His son has now joined him and taken over marketing operations. Ph: 9215819222
6. Er Manmohan Kalia is an agricultural engineer who is a Joint Director in the Department of Agriculture, Government of Punjab. He is the Nodal Officer for Crop Residue Management in the Government of Punjab. Email: er.manmohankalia@gmail.com
7. Dr. G.V. Ramanjaneyulu (Ramoo) obtained his Ph.D. in Agricultural Extension from the Indian Agricultural Research Institution in New Delhi. After working as an Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) scientist for a few years, he has been the Executive Director of the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture in Secunderabad since 2003. The Centre works with communities and with various partners, in the states of AP, Telangana, Maharashtra and Punjab and with the governments of A.P., Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Jharkand to help farmers establish ecologically and economically sustainable models of agriculture and organize themselves to improve their livelihoods and realize their rights.  Email: ramoo@csa-india.org