Farm fires in Punjab are highest in 3 years

DATA SHOWS THERE HAS BEEN NO REDUCTION IN FARM FIRES EVEN THOUGH PUNJAB GOVT HAS INITIATED PUNITIVE ACTION AGAINST

ERRING FARMERS

CHANDIGARH: Farm fires in the ongoing harvest season in Punjab — a major contributor to air pollution in Delhi and National Capital Region — are the highest in the last three years, according to data released by Punjab Technical University (PAU) based on satellite images.

On Monday, 794 cases of fire incidents were reported from Punjab as compared to 2,145 on Sunday. Till November 11, a total of 48,155 incidents of stubble burning were reported, 16% more than corresponding figure (40,776) in the last paddy season.

Butinharyana,anothermajor paddy growing state, stubble burning incidents have fallen by 18% this year with 5,920 incidents reported as compared to 7,273 in 2018 (till November 10), according to the Haryana pollution control board.

To be sure, the paddy cultivation area in Haryana is a third of that in Punjab. Still, Haryana’s idea of providing incentives to dispose the stubble seems to have worked, experts said.

Yogesh Patil, chief executive officer of Skymet Weather Services, which monitors stubble burning cases in northern India, said the number of cases reduced to 600-700 on November 7 and 8 due to rains and increased to 5,600 on November 10. The data is derived from NASA’S satellite images of fires in India.

The two data sets clearly show that there has been no reduction in the farm fires even though the Punjab government has initiated punitive action against erring farmers after the Supreme Court order on November 6, announcing ~100 per quintal incentive to farmers who don’t burn stubble.

According to officials, there have been 24,886 instances of punitive actions against defiant farmers this harvest season — around half of the total stubble burning incidents reported.

However, a state agriculture department official said on condition of anonymity that although the total number of farm fire incidents may increase this season, the total area that comes under fire will be much less than 2018. He quoted the Punjab food and civil supplies department data which showed that the harvest is near completion, with 90% of estimated harvest of 17 million tonnes arriving in grain markets.

A total of 3.43 million hectares of farm land was under paddy cultivation this year. One fourth of the estimated 20 million tonnes of paddy stubble produced is either burnt or mixed with the soil, according to agriculture department officials.

Punjab Agricultural University Vice Chancellor, BS Dhillon said state farmers have never shown defiance but they don’t have much option.