A Unique 'Environmental Friend' program of Fazilka district administration launched today by the Deputy Commissioner Dr. Senu Duggal IAS from the government school of village Lalowali. Under this program four students have been made environmental friends from each school of paddy growing villages who will motivate their parents as well as other farmers in their village not to burn paddy straw.
These Environment friends will be deputed in those villages, where there were more fire incidents happened last year. Apart from this, students in all schools of the district are taking a pledge to motivate their parents not to burn stubble and so far 21 thousand students of 108 schools have taken this pledge in the district.
Today Environment Friends along with other students and their parents also took oath to save our environment. Addressing the students and their parents on this occasion, the Deputy Commissioner said that the burning of stubble is posing a threat to humanity.
She said that now very cheap methods are also available to manage stubble and the government is also giving huge subsidy on stubble handling machines. "Therefore, all people should come forward to understand the seriousness of its damage, let us sow wheat by taking care of the straw according to the methods suggested by the Department of Agriculture," she said.
The Deputy Commissioner said that there were many incidents of straw burning in this village last year, but now we have to wash away this stigma. She said that when the stubble will not be burned here, she will come again to hold a function with these children and if the Panchayats stops the practice of stubble burning, priority will be given to carry out more development work under the MGNREGA scheme in those villages.
She appealed to Environment Friends to take this message to every farmer. District Education Officer Sukhbir Singh Ball, Principal Manoj Kumar, Geography Lecturer Kharait Chand, Agriculture Officer Mamata Rani also spoke on this occasion.