591 stubble-burning cases in Jalandhar district so far

Tribune News Service

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Jalandhar, June 4

While World Environment Day will be celebrated on June 5, things on ground indicate that there is nothing much that is being done to protect the environment in reality.

In Jalandhar this year, a total of 591 stubble burning cases have been reported. Till May 18, the number was 431 and within 20 days, more than 150 new cases have been recorded. This surely poses a threat to the environment.

The numbers are clearly indicating that instead of a decrease in stubble-burning cases, there is a rise every year. Last year, around 555 cases were reported. Only 33 cases were reported from the district in 2021. Within two years, there is a drastic increase seen in the cases. Earlier, the government was only concerned about paddy residue burning, but now, wheat-stubble burning is also troubling the authorities.

‘The farmers of Bajra village in Kartarpur tehsil also used to burn stubble, but there has been no such case here for the past over five years. Agriculture Department officials confirmed that no case of stubble burning has been reported from the village for several years. Avinash Kumar, the sarpanch said, “ I am very strict when it comes to burning stubble. If someone tries to burn residue, I inform the department and the police. With time, however, farmers have now accepted the fact that burning stubble is a crime.” He said that the motive is to protect the environment.