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1,501 farmers fined over ₹ 36 lakh for burning stubble in Haryana
According to officials, the highest ₹ 9.05 lakh fine has been imposed on 361 farmers in Kurukshetra district and ₹ 5 lakh on 197 farmers in Karnal district.
The Haryana government has challaned 1,501 farmers and imposed a fine of ₹ 36.40 lakh on them for non-compliance of the ban on burning crop residue as the incidents of farm fires continued unabated in the state and the air quality of seven Haryana cities slid to the ‘severe’ category.
According to officials, the highest ₹ 9.05 lakh fine has been imposed on 361 farmers in Kurukshetra district and ₹ 5 lakh on 197 farmers in Karnal district. A total of 373 farmers were challaned in Kaithal district and ₹ 8.85 lakh fine has been imposed on them.
Haryana on Thursday reported 128 farm fires, taking the total number of incidents of stubble burning in the state to 2,377.
The Haryana Space Applications Centre (HARSAC) has detected 48 cases in Fatehabad, followed by 27 in Jind, 19 in Kaithal, 11 in Sirsa, 5 in Ambala, 4 each in Karnal and Hisar, 3 each in Palwal and Yamunanagar, 2 in Rohtak.
However, the total number of stubble burning incidents is around 31 per cent less than the last year’s 3,221 cases reported in the state from September 15 to November 2 last year.
Also read: Stubble burning: Sangrur admin takes action, makes red entries in revenue records
The officials monitoring the ban on the farm fires said that the cases may go up in the next couple of days as around 50 per cent of the crop is yet to be harvested in Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa districts.
Ninety percent crop has been harvested in the major paddy producing districts of Karnal, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar and Ambala districts.
As per the information, 1,852 or 78 per cent of the total 2,377 cases of farm fires have been reported in five districts of Kaithal, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Jind and Karnal.
Air quality deteriorates again
The air quality of several Haryana cities under the National Capital Region deteriorated again on Sunday as the air quality index (AQI) of seven Haryana cities plunged to ‘severe’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board data.
As per the air quality bulletin, the air quality of cities including Bahadurgarh, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Gurugram, Jind, Manesar and Rohtak was categorised as ‘severe’ as their AQI was recorded above 401.
Also read: Stubble burning leads to spike in respiratory issues
The air quality of Ballabgarh, Dharuhera, Fatehabad, Hisar, Kaithal, Narnaul, Kurukshetra, Panipat and Sonepat was recorded as ‘very poor’, with the AQI recorded between 301 to 400 level. The air quality of Ambala, Karnal, Sirsa and Yamunanagar was categorised as ‘poor’ with the AQI hovering between 201 and 278.
Hardeep Singh, director general of Haryana agriculture and farmers welfare said that the state government has taken several measures to put a check on farm fires.
“Now two HCS officers from headquarters have been deputed in Fatehabad and Sirsa districts to monitor farm fires for a week,” he added.
