Initiative encourages farmers to adopt sustainable methods of straw management
 

Jhajjar, December 03 2020: CII Foundation and Jhajjar Power Limited (JPL) joined hands to reduce crop residue burning in Rohtak, Fatehabad and Sirsa districts of Haryana, providing support to 6,000 farmers. The two-year program that began last year in 6 villages, now covers 16 villages. The program aimed at bringing about a behavioural change among farmers to give up the practice of burning residual straw in their farms to restrict particulate emissions and enable them to adopt straw management and farm practices that are sustainable and eco- friendly.

The initiative covers, end-to-end support to the farmers with an objective to shift them from stubble burning practice to sustainable ways of stubble management; exploring and implementing locally suitable in-situ and ex-situ solutions; conducting farmer training and most importantly, providing farm technological tools.

Post the conclusion of phase 1 in March this year, the two organisations conducted a detailed impact assessment survey to evaluate the progress of the initiative in terms of environmental benefits to soil, crop and air. As per the survey findings, 80% of the 9,035 acres in the intervened area have adopted sustainable crop residue management practices. Over 20% of the farming community has witnessed a decrease in farm inputs such as pesticides, herbicides and water and 52% villagers confirmed an improvement in air quality after the implementation of sustainable methods of straw management.

Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Priyesh Modi, Head - Corporate Social Responsibility, CLP India, said, “As a responsible corporate citizen, CLP India’s constant endeavor is to positively impact the communities it operates in. Crop residue burning not only contributes towards harmful emissions, but also depletes essential nutrients from the soil. Our intervention, in partnership with CII Foundation, seeks to significantly reduce this harmful practice in Haryana by encouraging and educating farmers to use sustainable methods of straw management. We are truly happy that this initiative has helped in reducing stubble burning by 80%. In line with our vision, we will continue to undertake initiatives for a sustainable, low-carbon future.”

Commenting on the initiative, Ms Seema Arora, CEO, CII Foundation said, “CII Foundation has been working in Haryana and Punjab with government agencies and local partners to tackle the crop residue burning issue. Crop residue burning is an established contributor to the deteriorating air quality in these regions, which aggravates around October every year. Our collaboration with CLP India in Haryana has yielded encouraging results last year. This season too, we hope to further encourage change among farmers and create a sustainable environment. CII appeals to other business organisations to follow the lead of CLP India and come forward to support farmers and help the country tackle the crop residue burning and air pollution issues.”

The program has been designed, taking a holistic view of the situation. In phase 1 of the program, the project team conducted a series of community interactions and campaigns to sensitize farmers and build capacity for adopting sustainable methods of straw management. The project was executed with the help of local non-profit partners and farmer groups. Phase 2 of the project will include a mobilization campaign and equipment training in 16 villages of Rohtak, covering 22, 282 acres of farmland.

While encouraging farmers to do their part in taking care of the environment, CLP India has also remained committed to adopting best practices implemented nationally and internationally to reduce its impact on the environment. At JPL, located in Jhajjar District of Haryana, CLP India has installed Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) to control the Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) emission to atmosphere. JPL is the only thermal power plant in the NCR region which has wet type FGD in continuous operation since February 2019 and are successfully compliant to emission norms of SO2, NOx and PM notified by MOEF & CC in December 2015. SO2 is a harmful gas and has negative effects on human health which also results in acid rain. Going beyond the mandatory norms, JPL has also planted approximately 350,000 trees of different varieties, attracting more than 50 different species of birds resulting in enhanced biodiversity.

About CLP India
CLP India is owned by the CLP Group, one of the largest investor-owned power businesses in Asia, and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), a global institutional investor. Founded in 2002, CLP India has gradually grown its footprint to become one of the largest foreign investors in the Indian power sector. Its diversified portfolio comprises over 3,000MW of electricity generation capacity, including wind and solar energy projects across seven states, as well as transmission assets.

About CII Foundation
The CII Foundation was set up by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in 2011 to undertake a wide range of developmental and charitable activities and initiatives pan India by enabling Industry for infusing inclusive development. CII Foundation works towards inclusive development by providing a meaningful bridge between marginalised communities and donors, especially corporates, by providing strategic guidance on CSR and developing and managing high impact programmes. To know more, click here