110 fresh cases of stubble burning, count 1,634

Tribune News Service

Manav Mander

Ludhiana, November 16

On Thursday, 110 cases of stubble burning were reported from the district. Now, the total number of cases from the district have reached 1,634. The average air quality index (AQI) of Ludhiana today was 245.

Meanwhile, Khanna remained an exception in Ludhiana where the least, only 10 cases of stubble burning have been reported till now.

It came to the fore that the reason behind achieving success in managing stubble burning is Khanna has many industries around the city which pick up stubble and farmers there are using ex-situ management methods for crop residue.

Stubble burning figures of Ludhiana district point out that the maximum fire incidents have been reported from Jagraon and the minimum from Khanna.

Reason for the same is there are many industrial units around Khanna which are picking up stubble while there is none around Jagraon.

Mohar Singh from a village near Khanna said it had been years since he burnt the stubble. “I take the baler machine on rent in advance. After the crop is harvested, machine clears the fields, makes bales out of the stubble and supply to the nearby factory. My field gets clear and what else I want. I pay rent to the private operator who owns the machine,” he said.

Another farmer, Tarsem Singh, from a village near Khanna said they had been clearing their paddy fields with balers which they hire on rent.

“There is an agro industry in Khanna to which I have been giving stubble from my field. My field is clear and ready for wheat crop after paddy straw bales are picked. I feel in-situ method is not that effective as compared to ex-situ,” he said.

Chief Agriculture Officer Narinder Singh said one paper industrial unit was being set up near Jagraon and they expect cases to go down by the next year. Khanna had many industries around which collect stubble due to which it had registered least number of farm fires this year and last year as well.

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#Environment #Farm Fires #Pollution #Stubble Burning