56 farm fires reported in district, 1 farmer booked for burning stubble

Amritsar, November 5

The Punjab Remote Sensing Centre detected 56 farm fires on Sunday with which the total count of crop residue burning has increased to 1,432.

The district administration today got an FIR registered against another farmer from the Jandiala Guru area for burning stubble. The farmer was booked under Section 188 of the CrPC for violating the ban on burning of crop residue imposed by the administration.

On Sunday, 14 farm fire incidents were reported from Rayya block with Ajnala following close with 13 incidents. The Attari block reported nine incidents, Harsha Chinna block eight, Chogawan seven, Tarsikka four and Jandiala only one incident.

The administration had got FIRs registered against seven farmers for violation of the ban orders, filed complaints in court against 10 farmers for causing pollution under provisions of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, besides imposing an environmental penalty of over Rs 9.57 lakh. The administration has also ordered the Revenue Department to collect penalty from erring farmers.

Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori said criminal cases against farmers would be filed in courts for burning crop residue. Farmers would have to get bail from the court.