NOW, SATELLITE IMAGERY TO CHECK STUBBLE BURNING

PRAYAGRAJ : With a number of stubble burning cases being reported from the district in the recent past, the Prayagraj agriculture department officials have now taken the help of satellite imagery to track the burning of crop residue.

District agriculture officer Ashwani Kumar Singh said while monitoring through satellite stubble was spotted burning in Rampur Majhigawa and Dedra villages of Manda area along with villages Jhajra Chaubey, Kirari and Harkholia Khurd of Shankargarh.

Also, satellite monitoring indicated that stubble was being burnt by farmers in the fields between villages Bhata and Manapur in Handia Tehsil of trans-Ganga area.

“Lekhpal and technical staff of agriculture department were sent to the locations and farmers involved in burning stubble were identified and FIRs were lodged against them,” Singh said. He said recently FIRs were also lodged against some farmers in trans-Ganga and transYamuna areas of the district for burning stubble. Earlier such incidents were also reported from Soraon, Phulpur and Handia.

He said farmers are constantly warned and are urged to dispose of stubble through other alternate methods.

Singh said agriculture technical staff was training farmers to turn stubble into manure in their fields.

“Farmers are also being encouraged to use paddy stubble as fodder through super straw management. The stubble fodder may also be sent to cow shelters by the farmers,” he added.

As per data of the department, following regular awareness drives, cases of stubble burning have seen a major dip as compared to last few years.