Stubble burning ban goes up in smoke in Punjab, 47 cases in five days

At least 47 incidents of stubble burning have been reported from parts of Punjab in five days, the maximum in flood-hit Amritsar district.

Thirty-two cases were reported from Amritsar, followed by six in Patiala and five in Tarn Taran till Friday evening. One case each was reported from Sangrur, Hoshiarpur, Ferozepur and Bathinda.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has imposed a total fine of Rs 50,000 on the erring farmers. No farmer has been apprehended. The data was compiled by the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana. The Centre had begun recording farm fires on September 15 and the exercise will continue till November 30.

The development comes as the Supreme Court has asked the state government as to why errant farmers should not be arrested to send a strong message. Farm fires have been held among major reasons for the winter pollution in New Delhi and areas around it.

The SC had directed the Commission for Air Quality Management, the central body that monitors air quality in Delhi-NCR, Central Pollution Control Board and state boards to suggest measures within three weeks to curb pollution ahead of winter.

Agriculture experts, however, cautioned that despite Punjab being hit by worst floods in over three decades, the impact on farm fires may be marginal. “Floods damaged paddy crop on around 2 lakh acres, of nearly 34 lakh hectares sown under it. The crop is still wet and with harvesting delayed, farmers will be left with less than a month to prepare their fields for wheat crop, which could trigger a spike in residue burning around Diwali,” said agriculture expert Sukhbir Singh Dhaliwal.

“This reflects poor planning by the government. Stubble management is the single biggest exercise of the season and planning should be done well in advance,” he added.

Farmer leaders said they had no intention of polluting the environment.“Stubble burning harms Punjab more than Delhi. But governments have turned it into a money-minting industry, with corporates selling anti-smog guns and air purifiers,” said farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal. Reiterating his demand for a Rs 300 per quintal incentive for paddy residue, Rajewal said, “A (crop residue management) machine cost Rs 1 lakh or more, even after subsidy, and used only for a few days. For a small farmer owning three to five acres, this is a heavy burden.”

Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who had undertaken a 131-day fast against the Centre over the demand for an assured price of crops, urged the court to ensure implementation of its 2019 order asking the government to provide incentives and make residue management machines available.