Godrej Properties’ Crop Residue Management Initiative Achieves Zero Stubble Burning in 15 Villages of Punjab

Godrej Properties Ltd. (GPL) has successfully implemented a Crop Residue Management (CRM) project, achieving zero stubble burning across approximately 2549 hectares of farmland in North India. The village of Cheema Kalan was the first village to achieve this distinction in the fiscal year 2022-23. The project covered 15 villages in the rural Gurdaspur district of Punjab, benefiting 3956 farmer families.

The CRM project's objective was to protect the environment from air pollution and prevent loss of nutrients and soil micro-organisms caused by burning crop residue. It is in alignment with the Government of India's guidelines (2020) for CRM in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

The project was implemented through a public-private partnership with the agriculture department as a key stakeholder in project implementation at district and block levels. GPL funded the operating expenses required for project implementation and behavioural change through knowledge dissemination activities throughout the year.

Anubhav Gupta, CEO, Vikhroli, Chief CSR and Sustainability Officer of Godrej Properties, stated that stubble burning is a seasonal problem that exacerbates pollution levels, contributing to a public health crisis. He also mentioned that this pilot initiative has reduced environmental and health impacts and that GPL hopes to translate these learnings to other regions in India.

The success of the project was possible through continuous farmer mobilization and engagement for stubble management, engagement with sugar mills for the deployment of balers, mobilization of communities, and use of bio enzymes. NGO partner Feedback Foundation played an essential role in engaging with farmer families across villages.

Avoiding stubble burning not only prepares fields in a timely manner for new sowing but also prevents soil erosion by retaining moisture, minimizes extremes in soil temperature, and increases the amount of organic matter in the soil.

Overall, the project has collected, transported, and processed 1,25,954 quintals of stubble for making biomass pellets, animal fodder, and mulch in soil, and sequestered approximately 5736 TCO2e in FY 22-23.

Source- Godrej Properties Ltd.

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