Punjab initiates action in just 13% stubble burning incidents
Against 22,458 incidents of paddy straw burning, action has been taken against 2,923 errant farmers; air quality dips in cities as another 2,800-odd cases reported on Sunday
CHANDIGARH/SANGRUR: Despite widespread public outcry for action, the Punjab government has taken punitive action against the erring farmers in 2,923 of the 22,458 incidents of stubble burning reported from across the state.
These include 202 FIRs, 1,136 red entries made in revenue records and imposition of penalty totalling 41.62 lakh on 1,585 farmers. The state officers have visited a total of 11,286 stubble burning spots.
As per official information, Tarn Taran district is the worst affected district with 2,614 incidents of stubble fires. Besides 87 FIRs, fine amounting to Rs 5.27 lakh has been imposed against the offenders in 211 cases.
In Ferozepur and Sangrur districts, there were reports of 2,559 and 2,508 farm fires till November 1. While Sangrur district administration imposed ₹8.82 lakh fine in 353 cases, the highest across the state, no FIR has been registered against any offender so far. In SAS Nagar and Moga districts, 56 and 54 FIRs have been registered against the defaulters, respectively.
In Fatehgarh Sahib, 21 farmers have been booked for burning paddy straw. Meanwhile, air quality has dipped to ‘very poor’ in several cities of the state as per the national air quality index (AQI).
Officials of the state agriculture department and Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) said that farmers were defiant and belied their hopes of a visible change as subsidised machinery had been given to them for in-situ management of paddy.
Agriculture secretary Kahan Singh Pannu said that 1,300 officers and other staff members of his department were out in the field to stop stubble fires by persuading farmers.
The department has also imposed a fine of ₹2 lakh each on the 31 combine harvester machines which were without super straw management system. Additional chief secretary (development) Vishwajeet Khanna said due to zero wind conditions and high moisture content in the atmosphere, the particulate matter was suspended close to the ground, making the scenario bad to worse.
Of fires recorded by satellites, 3,000 could not be tracked which means those were not stubble fires, he claimed. As per current weather, the best time for wheat sowing will be from November 10 to 20.