As Punjab faces recurring concerns over paddy stubble burning and its impact on air quality across North India, Jaito-based non-governmental organisation Kheti Virasat Mission (KVM) is promoting a community-led approach centred on sustainable farming, crop residue management and soil regeneration.
Drawing on nearly two decades of agro-ecological work, the organisation is seeking to address the practical challenges faced by farmers rather than relying only on penalties and machinery subsidies. Its approach focuses on changing farming practices while involving local communities and farmers in the transition.
KVM Executive Director Umendra Dutt has highlighted the need to address structural issues within the agricultural system, including cropping patterns, soil health and dependence on groundwater. According to the organisation, long-term solutions require farmers to become active partners in environmental change.
Addressing the 20-Day Challenge
A central part of KVM’s approach is tackling what it describes as the “20-Day Window Syndrome” — the short period between paddy harvesting and wheat sowing.
During this interval, farmers face time and operational constraints while preparing fields for the next crop. These pressures can make stubble burning a convenient option, even when alternatives are available.
Through its Ecological Crop Residue Management (E-CRM) initiative, KVM is promoting technologies that allow crop residue to remain in fields as protective soil mulch.
The alternatives include Shredder–Seeder–Spreader (3S) machines, Happy Seeders and zero-till drilling. These methods are intended to help farmers manage paddy residue without burning it and support improved soil management.
Project URJA Reaches More Than 120 Villages
KVM is implementing Project URJA across more than 120 villages in Bathinda, Faridkot, Muktsar and Moga districts.
The project uses community engagement activities such as street plays, awareness marches known as chetna yatras and field demonstration plots to encourage farmers to adopt sustainable crop residue management practices.
The initiative is being undertaken under a programme of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which addresses climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation and pollution.
The organisation’s work also draws on behavioural research conducted in partnership with Swiss research institute Eawag using the RanasMosler framework.
According to KVM, the research indicates that farmers’ decisions to burn crop residue are influenced not only by awareness but also by operational costs, practical uncertainties and expectations within their communities.
Beyond Stubble Management: Supporting Traditional Livelihoods
Kheti Virasat Mission’s activities also extend to sustainable livelihoods and the revival of traditional practices.
Its Nav-Trinjan programme promotes naturally grown cotton and traditional, chemical-free textile production. The initiative focuses on a natural production chain involving organically grown cotton, hand-spinning on charkhas and weaving on traditional handlooms by rural women.
The programme also seeks to revive Punjab’s traditional community gatherings known as trinjan while creating livelihood opportunities for women.
The initiative was highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Mann Ki Baat address on October 25, where he spoke about its emphasis on traditional cotton production and rural women’s participation in the textile value chain.
Farmers as Partners in Ecological Transition
KVM’s approach places community participation at the centre of efforts to reduce stubble burning. It argues that farmers should not be expected to bear the entire financial and operational risk of adopting environmentally sustainable practices.
The organisation is advocating a shift from treating crop residue merely as agricultural waste towards managing it as a resource that can support soil health and more sustainable farming systems.
By combining residue-management technologies, field demonstrations, behavioural research and community mobilisation, the NGO aims to encourage long-term changes in agricultural practices across its project districts.
Its work highlights the role that local organisations and farmer communities can play in addressing environmental challenges through practical, locally adapted solutions.
Disclaimer: This report has been editorially prepared using publicly available information and official statements. Readers are advised to refer to official announcements for further details.
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