117 incidents of stubble burning in 2 days as harvesting starts in state
JALANDHAR :At least 117 incidents of stubble burning were reported in Punjab in just two days as the first phase of harvesting of paddy, primarily of the basmati varieties, started in the state.
The Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, Ludhiana, which began monitoring farm fires from Monday onwards on the direction of the state agriculture department, detected 55 and 62 farm fires on Monday and Tuesday.
Of these, Amritsar in the Majha region alone saw 79 such incidents, the highest among all districts, followed by Taran Tarn (22). A couple of cases each were detected in Kapurthala, SAS Nagar, Sangrur and Moga districts.
The climate of the Majha belt is considered conducive for a better growth of basmati. The PUSA 1,509 variety of the crop has started reaching the grain markets of Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts which have a significant area under the crop. The variety is sown by farmers in areas where vegetables are cultivated on a large scale.
Nearly 1.41 metric tonnes of paddy, mainly Basmati, has arrived in the grain markets across the state. The procurement of paddy is yet to begin by government agencies.
Nearly 43,000 stubble burning
AMRITSAR DISTRICT TOPS THE LIST OF MAXIMUM FARM FIRES AT 79 FOLLOWED BY
TARAN TARN AT 22
cases were reported during the paddy harvesting season last year. Farmers say tackling paddy straw is a costly process as subsequent governments have failed to find a permanent solution to the problem. Around 29 lakh hectare land is under paddy cultivation in the state.
The main paddy harvesting season will start in October. The state government has been making efforts to make farmers aware and is providing equipment on subsidized rates to tackle the problem.
‘FARM FIRE CASES LIKELY TO GO UP’
A Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) official said farm fire incidents are likely to go up this time with the Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday restrained the Punjab and Haryana governments from imposing fine on farmers for burning straw.
PPCB chairman Satwinder Singh Marwaha said, “We have held meeting with vice-chancellors of five universities in the state and will make farmers aware through NSS volunteers. We will form 5,000-6,000 groups of students who will visit the villages and urge farmers to shun stubble burning and educate them on its adverse consequences to the soil. We will not impose any fine as per the high court orders.”
State agriculture department director Sutanter Kumar Airi said, ”We have been making the farmers aware through publicity and by organising seminars. Around 28,000 crop residue management machines worth ₹400 crore were given to farmers last year and expected to give as many machines this year too.”