Auraiya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 30 (ANI): In a major step to address the challenge of stubble burning, a field-level intervention under the project “Mitigation of Stubble Burning with Reduction in Cost of Paddy Cultivation by Solar/Electrically Powered Machines” is being implemented in Uttar Pradesh.
The initiative introduces battery-powered E-Brushcutters for near-root paddy harvesting and solar threshers that convert crop residue into fodder, offering an affordable and eco-friendly alternative to stubble burning while reducing cultivation costs. 
Approved by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, and the Government of Uttar Pradesh, the project highlights a farmer-centric and scalable solution to a critical environmental issue.
As part of the program, 100 Vikalp E-Brushcutters were distributed to selected farmers in UP’s Auraiya district recently. The project is being implemented with the support of Vikalp (Alternative Farmtech Pvt. Ltd.), a startup focused on clean energy-driven agricultural solutions for smallholder farmers.
Farmer Ram Praksh said, “The advantage of the machine is that where 10 men used to work in a day, one machine will do that work in one day. It cuts from the root itself; after that, we can cut our crop at any time. After harvesting, collect the residue or use it as fodder or let it decompose. There is no need to burn fire.”
Another Farmer Pinky stated that, “It will save my time as well, and I think I will tell other farmers about this, give information. And as earlier they used to burn the stubble in the fields, pollution used to increase; now this will not happen. It has many advantages, I think all farmers should take advantage of this, and I thank Krishi Vigyan Kendra very much for giving these things to everyone.”
Farmer Vivek Chaturvedi said that this is India’s first battery-operated brush cutter, slashing daily operating costs from high-maintenance ₹100-per-hour petrol models to just ₹5 a day.
“This is India’s first battery-operated brush cutter. There are machines that run on petrol, but their cost is very high. It costs about Rs 100 per hour, besides pollution and high maintenance. So we had taken them earlier, but after being troubled, we had to innovate, and this is India’s first battery-operated brush cutter, whose cost of running for the whole day is Rs 5,” he said.
The project is being implemented with the support of Vikalp (Alternative FarmtechPvt. Ltd.), a startup focused on clean energy-driven agricultural solutions for smallholder farmers.
Puneet Goyal, Co-founder, Alternative Farmtech Pvt. Ltd speaking to ANI said, “See, the problem of stubble burning arose because there is a shortage of labour in villages, because of which people harvest with combined harvesters and stubble remains, which has to be burned later. With the help of our machines, we cut from the root, so that no stubble remains. And so many labourers are not required, one person can cut up to one acre in a day.”
Approved by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, and the Government of Uttar Pradesh, the project highlights a farmer-centric and scalable solution to a critical environmental issue. (ANI)