E-Paper
77% dip in farm fire cases in Punjab
₹1.85 lakh fine has been imposed on 65 farmers. 196 such cases seen seen till October 6. The count last year till same day was 845.
With 196 cases reported so far, Punjab is experiencing a decline in stubble burning incidents this year. According to the data from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), there has already been 77% reduction compared to the corresponding period last year.
As of October 6, 2023, Punjab had recorded 845 stubble burning cases, while the count this year stands at only 196. Punjab on Sunday reported only three farm fires cases. This was drastically down from 93 cases on the same day last year.
The border district of Amritsar has emerged as the highest contributor, with 96 reported cases. Amritsar is followed by another Pakistan bordering district — Tarn Taran. To curb farm fires, the state government has taken a host of measures, including marking red entries in the revenue records. As many as 50 farmers are learnt to have already been marked with red entries across the state. And this has been made despite opposition from farmer unions.
The PPCB has also imposed environmental fine totaling ₹1.85 lakh on 65 farmers. And ₹1.70 lakh has already been recovered from those who violated the rules. Six FIRs have been filed.
PPCB chairman Adarshpal Vij has attributed the decline to the collaborative efforts of various government departments. He highlighted the proactive measures, such as early identification of high-risk areas and targeted intervention before the harvest season began. With these efforts, Vij said Punjab aims to further reduce farm fire incidents and their harmful impact on the air quality in the state.
The farm fire incidents in Punjab have been steadily decreasing over the past few years, dropping from 71,304 in 2021 to 49,922 in 2022, and a further reduction in 2023. However, 2024 is heading towards becoming a year of least incidents of farm fire ever.
“Approximately 8,000 employees are actively working on the ground. Both in-situ and ex-situ machinery is being provided to farmers,” said Vij. “We remain optimistic that the numbers will continue to fall in the coming days,” he added.
The PPCB estimates that about 19.52 million tonnes (MT) of paddy straw will be produced this year. Of this, 12.70 MT (65.11%) will be managed through in-situ methods, 5.96 MT (30.53%) through ex-situ solutions and 0.86 MT will be used as fodder.
Under the in-situ method, stubble is mixed into the soil. Ex-situ management involves transporting the crop residue to different plants for different types of usage.
