Haryana to take strict action against erring farmers
KARNAL: Following directions from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Haryana government is planning to take strict action against farmers found burning crop waste in the coming kharif harvest season.
As the paddy harvesting will begin in October, the government has already identified about 5,000 villages in the state wherein high number of cases of stubble burning were reported in the past few years.
The officials of the agriculture, revenue, state pollution control board and development and panchayats departments will soon start a massive drive in these villages to make farmers aware about the adverse impact of stubble burning. They will also be told what action will be taken against them for burning crop waste, a government official said.
Following complaints that ground-level officers failed to take prompt action against the erring farmers in the past, the government has decided to designate SDMS as nodal officers for supervision and monitoring so that prompt and immediate action could be taken against the farmers.
Last year, Haryana witnessed about 12,606 cases of crop burning. However, only 236 FIRS were registered in this connection and a fine of around Rs 40 lakh was collected. he authorities also faced protests from farmers for taking action against them.
Though the authorities have taken several steps to stop stubble burning, putting a total check over this practice remains a challenge.
The farmers are of the view that burning stubble is still the best and cheapest option to get rid of tonnes of crop waste.
Small farmers say they are not unable to purchase the expensive equipment for management of straw and cannot afford delay in sowing the next crop, especially vegetables.
Talking to HT, Karam Chand, deputy director, agriculture department, said several schemes have been launched to provide financial assistance to farmers for purchase of implements.
BIG PROBLEM FOR SMALL FARMERS
The farmers say they resort to stubble burning despite warnings by authorities as they have to focus on the next crop.
“Farmers are not very keen to burn the crop waste, but they have to do it due to lack of cheaper and quick alternatives to get rid of about 20 quintal crop waste per acre ”, said Madan Lal, a farmer of Karnal.
“Only big farmers could purchase these machines and small ones will have to wait for their turn. But they cannot wait because they need to prepare the fields for next crop without any delay,” says another farmer Ram Pal of Kurukshetra district.
NEED TO MAKE WASTE PROFITABLE
The state government started taking measures to curb straw burning since the NGT banned the burning of crop residue in 2015. The government had announced that efforts will be made to make crop waste a source of income for farmers, but farmer leaders say nothing has been done on the ground yet, so that farmers could sell this waste.