Amritsar district just three cases short of breaching last year’s farm fire tally

Amritsar, November 18

With four farm fires reported by the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, the total count of farm fire incidents have increased to 1,539 on Saturday. In comparison to the last year, when the district had reported a total of 1,542 farm fire incidents during the entire paddy season, the district is soon going to cross the mark.

A visit to the rural areas of the Amritsar and Tarn Taran district revealed that the farmers are still burning crop residue. However, they are trying to evade detection by the department by setting the crop residue on fire during late evening hours.

On Saturday late evening, the crop residue was spotted burning at various places alongside the roads. The residents of the rural belt complained that the air pollution caused by the farm fires is a problem for them too.

“It is not that only the cities have been choked. We in comparison are habitual of living in a better environment and even a little pollution causes breathing and chest related problems,” said Parshotam Singh, a resident of Cheema Khurd village in Tarn Taran.

He said the government should find a solution to the problem. “Only if a demand is generated for paddy residue, the farmers could be stopped from burning it. Besides, there is a need to take action against all those who cause air pollution.” He said that it seems that the government’s seriousness is only because of the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal orders.

Even as the district administration has got atleast 19 FIRs registered against the farmers besides the 21 criminal complaints in the courts and nearly Rs 25 lakh in fine as environmental compensation, it so far has failed to pull a blanket ban on such incidents of farm fires which cause pollution.

Stubble burning continues in Tarn Taran

• Though the administration had taken stern measures against stubble burning, the practice continues in the district. Several fields were seen under clouds of smoke on the Warianh the village infront of Naushehra Pannun. The farmers said as the delay in harvesting of the paddy will postpone the sowing of wheat crop and in the present circumstances they have no other choice, but to fire the paddy residue
• There were reports of farm fires in Sarai Amanat Khan and Chohla Sahib too. The police said Avtar Singh, a farmer of Kaura Vidhana, has been booked under Section 188 of the CrPC on Friday