Stop burning stubble, Capt urges farmers
CHANDIGARH : In a spurt in the number of wheat stubble burning cases in Punjab, as many as 1,931 cases of farm fires were reported in the past three days, adding to the worries of the state government fighting the Covid-10 outbreak.
Keeping this in view, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday issued an appeal to state farmers not to indulge in the practice of stubble burning.He raised concern that burning of wheat stubble will have very hazardous impact amid Covid-19 crisis.
“It is a respiratory disease and stubble burning will affect recovery of Covid patients. It will even affect lungs of children making them prone to the infection,” the CM said while addressing the farmers in a video message.
As many as 722 cases of stubble burning were reported on Thursday, followed by 664 on Friday and 545 on Saturday. It took the season’s total to 2,160.
Balbir Singh Rajewal, president of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) also asked farmers to desist from stubble burning, saying it does not help anyone, but only endangers lives.
“We were expecting farmers to understand the situation this season, but they haven’t,” said Krunesh Garg, member secretary PPCB.
He said it is difficult to take action against the errant farmers as there are only 40 engineers with the board. “We challaned 39 farmers today and have imposed a fine of Rs 1.07 lakh,” he said.