Eight cases filed for burning crop stubble

In a crackdown on stubble burning, the police have registered eight separate cases against 11 individuals for allegedly setting paddy residue and agricultural waste on fire at different locations across the district on Wednesday.

The police said one of the cases was registered against four members of a family from Harike village, identified as Manjit Singh, Manjit Kaur, Ramandeep Singh and his wife Ramandeep Kaur. The FIR was lodged on the written complaint of Gurjit Singh, Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO), Patti.

Five incidents of stubble burning were reported from areas under the jurisdiction of Chabal police station, and separate FIRs have been registered against the farmers.

In another case, the Khemkaran police booked a villager — identified as Bohar Singh of Mehndipur village —- for a similar offence.

Similarly, the Verowal police registered another case of stubble burning against an individual. All the cases have been registered under Section 223 of the BNS following reports received through official channels.

Police said efforts are underway to identify more violators using field reports and satellite imagery. They appealed to the farmers to avoid burning paddy residue and adopt eco-friendly methods of disposal. The authorities have warned that strict action will continue against those defying the ban on stubble burning — a major contributor to poor air quality across Punjab during the

harvest season.