2 more farmers booked for stubble burning in Karnal

Tightening the noose around farmers involved in stubble burning, the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department has taken action against two more growers in the Gharaunda block for allegedly burning the paddy crop residue in their fields.

FIRs have been registered and fines have been imposed. Red entries have also been made in their Meri Fasal Mera Byora (MFMB) portal records, barring them from selling their crops at minimum support price (MSP) for the next two seasons. Last week, two FIRs were registered.

Sharing details, Wazir Singh, Deputy Director Agriculture (DDA), said the farmers were booked under the Section 39, Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act-1981, and Section 223(A) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)-2023.

Singh said such stringent action was part of the district administration’s ongoing campaign to curb stubble burning — a major contributor to air pollution in the region.

“Every year, after the paddy harvesting, incidents of stubble burning come to the fore, affecting not just the local environment but also air quality in neighbouring districts and cities,” he said.

To prevent such incidents, enforcement committees-cum-parali (straw) protection teams have been formed at the district, block, tehsil and village levels, comprising around 689 officers and staff tasked with monitoring fields, taking immediate action against violators, and creating awareness among farmers about proper crop residue management.

Farmers have also been encouraged to use agricultural machinery to manage stubble instead of burning it. As per the government’s guidelines, they could avail an incentive of Rs 1,200 per acre if they followed proper crop residue management practices, said the DC.

He appealed to the farming community to adopt these measures, highlighting that burning stubble was not only illegal but also detrimental to health and the environment.