THE CSR PROGRAMME PROVIDES RESIDUE-MANAGEMENT SUPPORT TO FARMERS AT NO COST; 550 ACRES BOOKED UNDER 2026 DRIVE SO FAR
Akhilesh Bansal/Barnala
Trident Group through its dedicated CSR wing Trident Humanity Foundation (Formerly known as Trident Institute of Social Sciences), is targeting nearly 2,000 acres of farmland under its ‘Parali Samadhan Programme 2026’ initiative in Punjab, as the textile and home furnishings major steps up efforts to provide farmers with sustainable alternatives to stubble burning and promote responsible management of paddy residue.
Under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, Trident is facilitating the collection and management of paddy straw and making straw-baling support available to farmers free of cost, reducing the need for open-field burning during the narrow window between paddy harvesting and sowing of the next crop. As part of the current phase of the programme in the Barnala and surrounding regions, around 550 acres have been identified and booked, of which residue-management operations have been completed across 202 acres, while another 348 acres are currently under execution.
The initiative builds on Trident Foundation’s earlier interventions in Punjab, where farmers have been provided access to farm machinery and operational support for managing agricultural residue. Equipment deployed under the programme has included reapers and mulchers for cutting crop residue, along with rakers and balers for collecting straw and converting it into manageable bales.
Apart from on-ground residue management, the FY 2026-27 programme is focusing on behavioural change among farming communities. Trident conducted Nukkad Natak (street plays), farmer outreach programmes and awareness activities to encourage adoption of alternatives to crop-residue burning. The initiative assumes significance with focus on reducing farm fires during the paddy harvesting season. Stubble burning has remained an environmental challenge in northern India, particularly during the post-monsoon months, with farm residue management requiring both timely access to machinery and economically viable alternatives for farmers.
Through ‘Parali Samadhan programme’, Trident aims to support a circular approach to agriculture by treating paddy residue as a resource rather than waste, while simultaneously addressing air pollution and farmer welfare.
The programme forms part of Trident Group’s CSR interventions under Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013, and is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals covering Climate Action, Good Health and Well-being, Responsible Consumption and Production and Life on Land. The initiative reflects its continued focus on environmental sustainability, responsible agricultural practices and its broader objective of contributing towards a stubble-burning-free Punjab.
