47 Ambala villages under vigil for stubble-burning

Tribune News Service

Ambala, September 17

As many as 47 villages in the district will remain under the surveillance of the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department during the upcoming paddy harvesting season to check stubble-burning.

While Bhurangpur village (Ambala-I block) and Lohgarh village of (Ambala-II block) have been kept in the red zone, and the remaining 45 villages, including Hasanpur, Manka, Sonti, Tejan, Dukheri, Jandheri, Majri, Mehla, Saha, Kesri, Sohana, Thamber, Barara, Sehla and Gadhouli, are in the yellow zone, based on the incidents of farm fires reported in the district last year.

Twenty-three villages fall under Ambala-I block, followed by seven at Barara, six at Naraingarh, five each in Ambala-II and Saha and one at Shahzadpur. As per data procured from the department, an increase in farm fires was registered last year. Against 56 incidents reported in 2021, 92 were reported in 2022.

However, farmers blame delayed harvesting due to untimely rains that resulted in a shorter window for timely sowing of the next crop for the increased farm fires last year. A penalty of over Rs 2 lakh was imposed on them.

A senior official in the department said, “Farmers in Ambala-1 block had been adamant due to the strong presence of farmer unions in the region. Besides this, late harvesting of basmati crop and then shorter window for timely sowing of the next crop are the reasons behind the farm fires.”

The official informed that the government had given an incentive of Rs 1,000 per acre to the farmers for the in-situ and ex-situ management of paddy stubble. Under the crop residue management for 2023-24, 730 Ambala farmers had applied for 1,185 agricultural implements, including super-seeder, zero till seed-cum-fertiliser drill, paddy and shrub master, etc., in the individual category, while 80 custom-hiring centres (CHCs) had applied for 368 implements.

Dr Jasvinder Singh, Deputy Director of Agriculture, Ambala, said, “A meeting was recently held regarding crop residue management and a committee has been formed to keep an eye on farm fires. The farmers will be motivated not to burn paddy stubble. The department will be holding camps to educate them about the ill effects of burning paddy residue.”

#Agriculture #Ambala