Burning stubble:Satellites to keep a watch on farmers

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 29

The district administration today stated that satellites would keep a watch on farmers, who burn crop residue, during the harvesting season. Officials of the Agriculture Department said the satellite monitoring would be used to rush fire vehicles to the spot, besides

identifying culprits.

Dalbir Singh Chhina, chief agriculture officer, said, “As soon as the satellite shows a picture of the site where paddy stubble is burning, quick response teams of the Police, Fire, Revenue and Agriculture Departments will rush to the identified place. Response teams will not only control fire, but also impose a fine on farmer or owner of the paddy field on the spot.”

He said, “The task force comprising officials of the Police, Revenue, Agriculture Departments and pollution control board will keep a vigil at the base camp at Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, with the help of NASA.”

“The task force will inform the control room of the district concerned where the paddy stubble burning case is spotted through satellite,” he added.

Disclosing amount of the fine, Chhina said a farmer owning up to two acres would have to pay Rs 2,500, owner of five acres up to Rs 5,000, owner of 10 acres upto Rs 10,000 and owner of above 10 acres would have to shell out Rs 20,000.

Referring to the strictness of the National Green Tribunal, he claimed that farmers were being made aware of such decisions through village camps and were also being trained to use alternative methods for disposing off the paddy residue.