SM Sehgal Foundation together with Walmart Foundation and Flipkart Foundation on Wednesday announced the implementation of an integrated project to promote sustainable solutions for effective crop residue management and to build eco-consciousness among children and youth. The details of the project were shared with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar at Chandigarh.

The project is being implemented in Haryana with philanthropic grant funding from the Walmart Foundation and Flipkart Foundation and will aim at reducing the pollution impact caused by crop burning in Haryana.

A media statement said the project funded by the Walmart Foundation aims to directly impact 15,000 farmers across 100 villages. Farmers will be trained on how to reduce carbon dioxide emissions resulting from crop residue burning along with recommending sustainable solutions for crop residue management, with a focus on improving soil health and crop productivity.

Committed to viable solutions

These solutions include the use of a super seeder for crop residue management and the promotion of short-duration varieties of paddy as well as capacity building for farmers, it said. Additionally, a grant from the Flipkart Foundation also extends its support to raise awareness and build eco-consciousness among 5,000 children and youth across 60 villages in these districts, as this area is most affected by crop residue burning, the statement said.

Quoting Manohar Lal Khattar, Haryana Chief Minister, it said the Government of Haryana is committed to finding viable solutions for crop stubble management to ensure air quality is improved for better health and well-being.

“We have implemented a comprehensive framework which includes robust and efficient crop residue management measures, effective monitoring and continuous awareness campaigns towards this goal. We congratulate Walmart Foundation, Flipkart Foundation and SM Sehgal Foundation on these important projects and look forward to seeing the positive impact both the projects will make for our communities,” he said.

Julie Gehrki, Vice-President, Chief Operating Officer, Walmart Foundation, said the Walmart Foundation is committed to supporting the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in India. “We are proud to work with Flipkart Foundation and SM Sehgal Foundation to help create opportunities for sustainable farming techniques that positively impact the environment, improve farmer livelihoods, and benefit all stakeholders,” Gehrki said in the statement.

Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Flipkart, said: “At the Flipkart Foundation, our mission is to serve, support and empower communities, while maximising socio-environmental impact. This collaboration with SM Sehgal Foundation and Walmart Foundation furthers our collective mission to empower farmers and drive meaningful change.”

Anjali Makhija, Trustee and Chief Executive Officer of SM Sehgal Foundation, said S M Sehgal Foundation has worked on community-led development for over two decades by helping rural communities in India to bring about positive social change. Through the project, the farmers will receive support to improve soil health, increase productivity through education on the judicious use of fertilizers, use of appropriate seed variety, adoption of micronutrients, and diversification into sustainable crops and varieties, Makhija said.

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