Four farmers booked in Karnal, Kurukshetra for stubble burning

Stepping up its drive against stubble burning, the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department has booked four farmers in Karnal and Kurukshetra districts for allegedly setting paddy residue on fire. Apart from fines, the erring farmers have been marked with a ‘red entry’ on the Meri Fasal Mera Byora (MFMB) portal, barring them from selling their crops at minimum support price (MSP) for the next two seasons.

In Karnal, three farmers — Jasmer of Kaimla, Dinesh Kumar of Furlak and Vicky of Bijna village (Gharaunda block) — were booked under Section 39 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Each has been fined Rs 5,000. “The government has set a target of zero stubble burning this year. Nearly 750 officials have been deployed across Karnal district to enforce the ban and take strict action,” said Dr Wazir Singh, Deputy Director Agriculture (DDA), Karnal.

In Kurukshetra, a farmer, Ramprakash of Ajrawar village (Ismailabad block), was booked for a similar violation. An environment compensation charge of Rs 5,000 was imposed, and his details were also marked red on the MFMB portal. “During inspection, our team confirmed stubble burning. A case was registered and further proceedings initiated,” said Dr Karamchand, DDA, Kurukshetra.

Kurukshetra Deputy Commissioner Vishram Kumar Meena urged farmers to adopt residue management practices. “We are repeatedly appealing to farmers not to set crop residue on fire. Those who manage stubble will be given benefits under government schemes. Managing residue not only helps the environment but also improves soil fertility,” he said.

Officials reminded farmers that penalties for stubble burning were revised last year: Rs 5,000 for up to 2 acres, Rs 10,000 for up to 5 acres, and Rs 30,000 for more than 5 acres. Besides fines, FIRs and MFMB red entries are mandatory.

The department is also offering Rs 1,200 per acre incentive for in situ and ex situ stubble management. Flying squads, village-level enforcement committees, and awareness camps are already active in the state to check crop residue burning.