Ban on stubble burning goes up in smoke

Tribune News Service

Patiala, May 16

With farmers' associations opposing the ban on stubble burning, the district administration has failed to check such incidents this season too. The Punjab Government has chosen Patiala as a model district for implementing the ban on stubble burning.

Patiala was selected because it had a large rural population and agricultural activity. Last month, the district administration had warned farmers against burning stubble. However, the administration failed to check the practice. Some were issued challans, many managed to escape without penalty.

While a considerable decrease in stubble burning has been witnessed in the areas, located near the city, the situation is grim in rural areas. “As such incidents are easily noticeable near the city and along the main roads, farmers in such areas follow the directions," said Mansimrat Riar, a landlord from Naina village in Patiala.

However, farmer groups in several villages reasoned that the failure of administration in penalising the violtors have emboldened others.

Notably, stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is a leading cause of pollution in Delhi. Haryana has selected Karnal as its model district. Earlier, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had imposed a complete ban on stubble burning in Delhi and its adjoining states but the implementation of the order suffers. The tribunal had asked the governments to penalise those violating the order and give incentives to the farmers recycling the crop residue.

Meanwhile, farmers' associations said they were ready to cooperate with the authorities but required monetary assistance to adopt other methods. "Small and marginal farmers can not spend Rs 2,000 extra. They will try to burn the crop residue," they maintained.

Punjab produces 17 to 18 million tonnes of rice and wheat straw and about three-fourth of the residue is disposed of in the fields itself. The stubble burning also leads to the elimination of a farmer-friendly beetle (Zygogramma Bicolorata).