For farm fires, 12 farmers marked with red entries on MFMB portal

In a crackdown on stubble burning, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department Karnal has made red entries on the ‘Meri Fasal, Mera Byora’ (MFMB) portal of 12 farmers, barring the farmers concerned from selling their crops on MSP for two consecutive paddy procurement seasons. The action comes as part of the district administration’s intensified efforts to curb farm fires during the kharif season.

Till November 17, Karnal recorded 18 active fire locations (AFLs). Upon verification, one site turned out to be a false alert, while another was reported on non-agricultural land. The department has so far registered 13 FIRs and imposed a penalty amounting to Rs 75,000 on violators, said Dr Wazir Singh, Deputy Director Agriculture (DDA).

The district had recorded 90 AFLs during the last season till November 17, he said, giving credit of the fall in stubble burning to increasing awareness among farmers, who are now making money from stubble instead of setting it on fire.

Dr Singh maintained that the department has significantly expanded its area under in-situ stubble management to nearly 2 lakh acres, up from 1 lakh acres last year. Meanwhile, the area under ex-situ management has decreased from 2.75 lakh acres to 2 lakh acres.

He attributes this shift to rising awareness about the environmental and soil-health benefits of in-situ methods, which incorporate straw back into the soil rather than burning it.

“Farmers in Karnal are showing enthusiasm towards in-situ and ex-situ management. Continuous awareness campaigns, easy access to CRM machines and technical guidance have motivated farmers to adopt sustainable practices,” he claimed.

Dr Singh said that the district has adequate machinery support with 3,500 super seeders, 900 mulchers and 350 bailers, cutters and hay rakes, enabling large-scale adoption of eco-friendly residue management.

The department estimates that around 9 lakh MT of paddy straw is being managed through in-situ and ex-situ operations this year. Of this, around 1 lakh MT will be used as fodder, 4 lakh MT is being mixed back into the soil through in-situ practices and around 4 lakh MT is being processed through bailers and further supplied to industries such as liquor manufacturing, bioenergy plants and other sectors.

State records 47 per cent drop in stubble-burning incidents

Haryana has recorded a 47 per cent decline in active fire locations (AFLs) this season. By November 17, the state logged 573 AFLs, down from 1,082 cases in 2024 during the same period. The figures were 2,031 in 2023, 3,271 in 2022 and 6,094 in 2021, indicating a consistent downward trend, said the data.

With 166 AFL cases, Jind is leading the tally, followed by Fatehabad (83), Hisar (65), Kaithal (59), Sonepat (54), Rohtak (36), Sirsa (31), Karnal (18), Palwal (14), Jhajjar (9), Kurukshetra (8), Yamunanagar (7), Ambala (6), Bhiwani (6), Faridabad (4), Panipat (4), Nuh (1), Panchkula (1) and Charkhi Dadri (1).