Amritsar: Authorities act tough on farmers burning stubble

Amritsar, October 12

Acting tough on the farmers flouting the ban on burning crop residue in their fields, the local administration has started imposing fines on the violators.

The district administration has imposed a fine of over Rs 2.53 lakh on violators. The officials stated that the remote sensing department had reported as many as 312 farm fire incidents in the district.

Of these, it was found that fires were reported from a total of 131 fields. Based on the remote sensing data, the information regarding the fires is regularly sent to the field officers, who then go and examine the spots.

A paddy field produces around 2.5 to 3 tonnes of crop residue. With the burning of one tonne of crop residue, 400 kilos of organic carbon, 5.5 kg of nitrogen, 2.3-kg phosphorus, 2.5 kg of potash and 12 kg of sulphur are burnt.

Agriculture experts have stressed that these nutrients can help increase the fertility of the soil, noting that farmers would have to use less of chemical fertilisers.

The district administration has also appointed nodal officers for different areas to check the burning of crop residue. Fines are imposed based on the area of a field in which the crop residue is burnt. For two acres, a fine of Rs 2,500 is imposed, for two to five acres- a fine of Rs 5,000 is imposed and for five acres or more, a fine of Rs 15,000 can be imposed.

Fines are imposed on basis of area

• The district administration has also appointed nodal officers for different areas to check the burning of crop residue. Fines are imposed based on the area of a field in which the crop residue is burnt
• It was found that fires were reported from a total of 131 fields. Based on the remote sensing data, the information regarding the fires is regularly sent to the field officers, who then go and examine the spots