Ludhiana: Harvesting ahead, administration gears up to curb stubble burning

The deputy commissioner has directed the sub-divisional magistrates to appoint nodal officers at the village level to maintain close surveillance in their respective areas and monitor any incidents of straw burning

Ludhiana

The aim is to educate and motivate farmers to adopt eco-friendly alternatives for managing crop residue. (HT Photo)

To curb environmental pollution, deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain on Thursday chaired a meeting with officials from various stakeholders and issued clear directions to ensure zero tolerance towards wheat straw (stubble) burning as wheat harvesting is scheduled to commence from April 1.

Presiding over the meeting, the DC directed the sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) to immediately appoint nodal officers at the village level to maintain close surveillance in their respective areas and monitor any incidents of straw burning.

The deputy commissioner further instructed officials to launch widespread awareness campaigns among farmers through camps, Vans, other IEC materials, highlighting the severe harmful effects of wheat straw burning. These include deterioration of air quality, soil degradation, loss of essential nutrients, health hazards from smoke and particulate matter, and contribution to broader environmental issues. The aim is to educate and motivate farmers to adopt eco-friendly alternatives for managing crop residue. Ludhiana has approximately 2.38 lakh hectares under wheat cultivation this year, making effective prevention measures critical to minimizing pollution during the upcoming harvesting period.

The DC called upon all stakeholders, including agriculture, pollution control, police, revenue, co-operative and panchayats departments, to work collaboratively.