Lucknow, Sep 22 : Incidents of stubble burning in Uttar Pradesh have come down by almost 65 per cent in the past five years. According to the government spokesman, a presentation made before chief secretary Durga Shankar Mishra highlighted data from the Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue (CRM) scheme for the financial year 2022. In 2022, a total of 3,017 incidents of crop residue burning were reported, marking a 65 per cent decrease from the 8,784 incidents recorded in 2017, as stated in the report. In response, the chief secretary issued directives to halt the practice of crop residue burning. The agriculture department has been tasked with conducting awareness and publicity campaigns through IEC programs. The directives stressed the importance of using print media for publicity and implementing awareness initiatives at various levels, including district, state, and Nyaya Panchayat levels. Stubble management awareness programs should also be organised through village-level farmer schools. Additionally, radio jingles, television audio-visual clips, and scrolling messages on TV should be broadcast to raise awareness. The directives also called for the dissemination of pamphlets for farmer training programs and the demonstration of agricultural equipment. Public awareness campaigns should involve the use of vehicles, and farmers should be informed through wall writings and paintings. Agricultural machinery designed for crop residue management should be made available through the Single Agricultural Machinery and Farm Machinery Bank. Furthermore, the directives emphasised the need to establish teams at various levels, including the village, Nyaya Panchayat, development block, tehsil, and district, to work together in raising awareness and engaging the community. /IANS