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Of total farm fire incidents in Punjab, half in Amritsar
In a measure to curb the burning of paddy stubble, the Fazilka district administration has earmarked about 250 acres of land in over 24 villages to be used as a warehouse to store crop residue
Punjab on Thursday reported 98 incidents of farm fires as per the data provided by the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC) taking this harvesting season total to 754. A total of 49 fires were reported from Amritsar, where harvesting of basmati and short-duration non-basmati starts early, while 13 cases were spotted in Tarn Taran. The number of fire events crossed the 100 mark in Tarn Taran on Thursday while the PRSC satellite has identified 478 fires in Amritsar to date.
Last year, on the corresponding date, the state had recorded 545 incidents of stubble burning, while in 2021, the state had reported 278 cases.
Meanwhile, in a measure to curb the burning of paddy stubble, the Fazilka district administration has earmarked about 250 acres of land in over 24 villages to be used as a warehouse to store crop residue.
Deputy commissioner Senu Duggal said on Thursday the farmers and all those engaged in stubble management can make use of the ‘land banks’.
“Our team has identified non-cultivable land in different blocks of the district. The barren land will be put to use to store the paddy stubble without any charges. Farmers should utilise the facility and avoid burning the residue,” she said.
Fazilka chief agriculture officer Gurmeet Singh Cheema said the district has nearly one lakh hectares under rice cultivation, out of which 30,000 hectares is under the parmal varieties.
“Farmers are being sensitised to shun the environmentally hazardous practice of putting the residue on fire. Chunks of land have been identified in every block where farmers or entrepreneurs can keep the stubble until they have buyers,” he added.
During the harvest in October-November, Punjab farmers usually have a shorter window to clear their fields for the winter crop, and many choose to burn the paddy stubble, sending up plumes of smoke that drift over to large population centres, sink and choke settlements in toxic smog.
The crisis often pushes air in North Indian states and that of the national capital Delhi, into the severe category. Apart from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh farmers also contribute to the smog.
Paddy arrival gains pace
Punjab Mandi Board data indicates a brisk arrival of paddy in the mandis. On Thursday, farmers brought 1.15 lakh tonnes of paddy in mandis across the state, and the total arrival touched 3.15 lakh tonnes at 8 pm.
Patiala is leading with 68,000 tonnes of arrivals till Thursday followed by Ludhiana (35,000 tonnes) and Mohali (31,000 tonnes).
Mandi board data says 83% of the paddy that arrived in the mandis was bought by the government and private agencies till Thursday.
Of the total produce that reached mandis, 2.45 lakh tonnes was procured by government agencies, whereas farmers sold 16,000 tonnes to private players.
Patiala admin orders FIRs against 5 farmers
Patiala administration, on Thursday, ordered registration of FIRs against five farmers of the district for stubble burning. Besides registering FIRs, the district administration has also imposed a penalty totalling ₹12,500 against the five farmers.
“I have written to Patiala Police to register FIRs against five farmers for violating the orders of refraining from burning stubble,” said Patiala DC Sakshi Sawhney.
The orders have been passed against five farmers identified as Chand Singh and Kabul Singh of Nabha block; Harpreet Singh of Samana; Kartar Singh of Lang village; and Randhir Singh of Patran block in Patiala district. It has also been learned that the administration has decided, as a sort of deterrent, to suspend the arms licences of the farmers.
