Nearly 400% rise in Hisar region farm fires
HISAR : Compared to last year on the day of Diwali, the cases of stubble burning by farmers of Hisar region, including districts Hisar, Sirsa and Fatehabad, have been on the rise this year.
According to the data available with the Pollution Control Board Hisar, the Haryana Space Application Centre (HARSAC) noticed 526 active fire locations in Hisar region on November 7 (Diwali). Last year on Diwali, October 19, the number of stubble burning cases remained at 110. Of these, 78 were reported from Fatehabad, 28 from Sirsa and four from Hisar.
Talking to HT, Aparnesh Kaushik, scientist at Pollution Control Board Hisar, said, “The process of identification of the land and the owner’s name has started by the enforcement team, which will impose fine on the defaulters.”
CASES DECREASE FROM OCT 3 TO NOV 7 THIS YR
According to the data, the number of stubble burning cases last year from October 3 to November 7 in Hisar region was 2,832. Out of these, the highest number was witnessed in district Fatehabad with 2,133 cases, followed by Sirsa with 564 cases and Hisar district with 135 cases.
However, the data of 2018 of the same time — from October 3 to November 7 — the total number of stubble burning cases reported were 2,492, out of which, Fatehabad again remained at the top with 1,658 cases so far, followed by Sirsa with 724 fire spots and Hisar with 110.
There are 10 major districts in Haryana where farmers sow paddy. These are Karnal, Fatehabad, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Ambala, Jind, Yamunanagar, Panipat and Sonepat. According to the data provided by the Sirsa agriculture department, 90% of the paddy yield comes from these 10 districts.
FARMERS’ VIEW
A farmer of Nejadela Kalan village of Sirsa district, Gurjeet Singh, said the farmers have no alternative to stubble burning as labourers charge hefty amounts to uproot the rice stubble, affecting cost of production. “The equipment provided by the government cannot cover every area everyday and the farmers also need to prepare their land for the next cycle of crop, hence burning the stubble seems a lot easier and cheap way for them,” Singh added.
PROVISION OF FINE
Scientist at the pollution control board said that there is a provision of fine for the farmers who burn stubble. They said that under the Pollution Control Act1981, if a farmer burns stubble on less than 2 acre, a fine of ₹2,500 will be imposed; from two to five acres, a fine of ₹5,000 will be imposed and above five acres, ₹15,000 fine will be imposed for stubble burning.