Teams formed at village, block levels to curb crop residue burning

The district administration has established monitoring teams at the village and block levels to actively prevent crop residue burning incidents following wheat harvest. These teams are not only surveying the fields but also carrying out awareness programme to promote scientific residue management among farmers.

Deputy Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya while stating strict instructions had been issued to officers of the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department to maintain vigilant field-level surveillance. He emphasised that burning crop residue (wheat stubble) in the fields was a punishable offence under Section 163 of the Indian Civil Protection Code, enforced in the district at present.

The DC has also warned that any instance of crop residue burning will invite immediate legal action. He urged citizens to cooperate with the administration and report any such activities by calling Dial 112 or notifying relevant administrative officials, so that prompt and effective action could be taken.

“Crop residue burning not only damages the environment and public health but also poses a serious economic risk to the farmers by causing uncontrolled fires that can spread to nearby ripe crops. It is also a major cause of air pollution and can lead to respiratory diseases, while degrading soil fertility and destroying its organic quality,” Dahiya added.

The DC made a public appeal to the farmers not to burn stubble and instead adopt scientific residue management methods using appropriate machinery, which could also lead to increased income. The farmers, village headmen and panchayat representatives were being educated about these alternatives. The community participation and mutual awareness were key to solving the issue, he added.

He maintained that those found guilty of stubble burning may face legal action under the Environment Protection Act, Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, and the Disaster Management Act. Additionally, the offenders may lose eligibility for subsidies and benefits under government schemes, he added.