LAHORE: Punjab Agriculture Department (PAD) has constituted special teams to monitor strict implementation of ban on burning rice stubbles which causes air pollution leading to negative impact on human lives.
PAD has appealed to the rice growers not to put the rice residues such as stubbles on fire after harvesting of the paddy as it not only damage the nutrients present on the upper layer of the land but also negatively impact the fertility of the land.
The Department claims that smoke emitting out of burning of rice residue or other crops also causes traffic accidents leading to loss of life and property. 'Instead growers should use disc harrows if harvesting is done mechanically to mix the crop residue in the land or use deep plough besides applying half bag of urea per acre through broadcasting. It will help increasing the production capability of the land,' said a PAD spokesman.
It warned that special teams of the department are monitoring the harvesting process of paddy and other crops so as no one should put the stubbles on fire.
Meanwhile, Punjab Minister for Environment Protection Department M. Rizwan has said climate change is expected to cause wide-ranging impacts such as reduced agricultural productivity, increased variability of water availability, increased coastal erosion, sea water incursion and increased frequency of extreme climatic events. The children should be sensitized about climate change along with their engagement in healthy activities that help in mitigating the impacts of climate change. He expressed these views while attending a workshop attended by children from five different schools from Lahore, District Education Officers and representatives from different institutions were present.
The minister said climate change is a big risk for the youth and children in Pakistan which could threaten their health, education and protection. The minister acknowledged the efforts to engage children to mitigate climate change by conducting climate change awareness sessions and tree plantation activities at 30 different schools in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi.
Other speakers emphasized planting as many trees as possible. The minister also planted a sapling on the lawn of the school and prayed for the development and progress of the country.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021