Parliamentary panel: Stubble-burning spiked during farm protest

Vibha Sharma
New Delhi, March 24

Punjab recorded more stubble-burning incident during the farmers’ protest against the now-repealed agricultural laws, according to a report submitted to the Parliament by the department-related parliamentary panel.

Lens on Punjab, Haryana, UP

Year – Burning incidents

2019 – 61,332

2020 – 89,430

2021 – 1,02,379

Stubble-burning incidents events are monitored by multiple satellites with thermal sensors during the harvest period from October 1 to November 30 in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, the Department of Agricultural Research and Education under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare told the panel.

“The burning events recorded during 2019 in the three states were 52 per cent fewer as compared with 2016. However, the number was 89,430 and 1,02,379 in 2020 and 2021, respectively, as compared with 61,332 in 2019,” it said.

“The burning events were higher, particularly in Punjab. It may be a result of ‘protest burning’ by Punjab farmers. The efforts have resulted in 52 per cent reduction in crop residue burning incidents as compared with the base year 2016,” the department told the panel headed by Bagalkot MP PC Gaddigoudar when asked about the steps taken to mitigate the problem of stubble-burning in Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and the NCT of Delhi.

Under the central sector scheme on “Promotion of Agricultural Mechanisation for in-situ management of crop residue in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi”, Rs 1,151.80 crore were allocated for two years (Rs 591.65 crore in 2018-19 and Rs 560.15 crore in 2019-20) and Rs 600 crore in 2020-22.

During four years, 2.13 lakh machines were supplied to the states for the in-situ residue management. At present, the department is working on promoting equipment for in-situ management.