The district administration has made comprehensive arrangements to assist farmers in sowing the next crop without resorting to stubble burning during the upcoming paddy season. Deputy Commissioner Mrs. Sakshi Sawhney has entrusted the Agriculture, Pollution Control, Mandi Board, and Cooperation Departments with the responsibility of implementing this campaign.
These departments, working in coordination, will provide the required machinery and technical guidance to farmers for preparing their fields after paddy harvesting. Chairing a meeting with officials of these departments today, Deputy Commissioner Mrs. Sawhney said that farmers bringing paddy to any mandi of the district will be contacted by phone to ascertain their requirement for stubble management machinery.
Based on their needs, the details will be passed on immediately to the Agriculture Department’s nodal officers at the block level, who will ensure timely arrangements of machinery for the concerned farmers. She further informed that a dedicated call center has been set up for contacting farmers, supported not only by government staff but also by volunteers from Khalsa College.
On this occasion, Agriculture Officer Dr. Raman Kumar said that nodal officers have been appointed in all nine blocks of the district. The district administration has also imposed a complete ban on the burning of paddy stubble. Mr. Rohit Gupta, Additional District Magistrate, Amritsar, exercising powers under Section 163 of the Indian Citizens Protection Act, 2023, stated that stubble burning is harmful both for farmers and the nation’s agricultural productivity.
To prevent stubble burning, it has been made mandatory to use SMS/Super SMS machines with combine harvesters in areas where baling is not being carried out. This order has been issued in the interest of public welfare and will remain in force from 15 September 2025 to 14 November 2025.