Balloh village in Bathinda district has become the first in the state to offer farmers a free baler service for collecting paddy straw from their fields. According to the village panchayat and a local welfare organisation, the initiative is aimed at discouraging stubble burning during the ongoing harvesting season.Three balers have been arranged by the Taranjot Welfare Society, while another one has been provided by village sarpanch Amarjit Kaur.The machines will collect and bale paddy straw from fields. Farmers will not be charged for it, helping them manage crop residue without resorting to burning.Gurmeet Singh Mann, patron of the Taranjot Welfare Society, and sarpanch Amarjit Kaur said the initiative was aimed at making stubble management easier for farmers and ensuring that they did not have to bear any additional cost for clearing their fields.“One baler will provide a benefit of Rs 400-500 per acre to a farmer,” said the sarpanch. Villagers said the organisation had been working for several years to create awareness among farmers against stubble burning. It had earlier given an incentive of Rs 500 per acre to farmers who refrained from burning paddy residue, they said.The village has nearly 3,270 acres of cultivable land, of which 2,800 acres are under paddy. It has a population of nearly 4,800.Stubble burning not only contributes to air pollution but also damages soil health by destroying beneficial organisms and nutrients.The society and the village panchayat have also informed Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann about the initiative through a letter, with the objective of encouraging similar efforts for stubble management across the state.“We appeal to farmers of Balloh and the adjoining villages to make use of the free service and avoid burning paddy straw. The collective effort can help make the village and surrounding areas free of stubble-burning smoke,” said sarpanch Amarjit Kaur.A baler owner said the number of balers had been increasing every year. “In the beginning of the season, baler operators work free of cost in the fields. However, when harvesting reaches its peak, they start charging,” he said.