Several outreach activities will be conducted under this program to sensitise farmers : Khudian
Successful pilot project in Patiala, which saw over 80% reducton in farm fires, paves way for statewide expansion : Dr.Balbir
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh-
In a significant move to combat air pollution and support farmers, Punjab Government on Monday inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Deloitte to provide technical assistance for scaling up successful crop residue management initiatives across the state.
The MoU was signed between Executive Director Deloitte Vivek Mittal, and Commissioner Agriculture Ms Babita in the presence of Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian and Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh.
This partnership comes on the back of a highly successful pilot project implemented by Deloitte last year in 17 villages of the Patiala district, which witnessed a remarkable reduction of over 80% in farm fire incidents.
Divulging details about the program, Khudian said that several Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities through village-level meetings and door-to-door awareness campaigns will be conducted and a digital awareness van with motivational videos and promoting the mascot “Unnat Singh,” a progressive farmer, will visit different villages to sensitise farmers. Apart from merchandise, including T-shirts, calendars, cups and tote bags, with innovative slogans will be distributed, he said.
The Agriculture Minister said that a user-friendly 'Krishi Yantra Saathi' (KYS) mobile application for easy farm equipment booking and scheduling is also being launched under this program.
Appreciating the interventions by Deloitte, Dr Balbir Singh highlighted the critical link between farm fires and public health. "The smoke from stubble burning severely impacts the air quality, leading to a rise in respiratory and other health problems among our citizens. The proven success in Patiala demonstrates a viable model to protect both the environment and the health of our people," he said.
The Health Minister emphasised the government's commitment to the initiative, stating, "Our partnership with Deloitte marks a significant step forward in our commitment to a cleaner and healthier Punjab. By scaling these effective strategies statewide, we are determined to replicate the success of Patiala and provide a sustainable solution for crop residue management that benefits our farmers and safeguards public health.”
On the occasion, Principal Secretary Health Kumar Rahul, Secretary Agriculture Basant Garg and officials from Deloitte including Director Prateek Kanwal, Associate Director Shakya Sengupta, and Consultant Prakash Jha were also present.