On duty to check farm fires, officials held ‘hostage’ in Ambala

The incident happened in afternoon, when the team, including a patwari, a gram sachiv and an official from the agriculture department, visited Kot Kachua village to verify a satellite image provided by the Haryana Space Applications Centre (HARSAC), Hisar, on stubble burning and accordingly issue a challan

A team of three officials, including a halka patwari, who were near Shahpur village in Ambala to check stubble burning, were allegedly held hostage by a group of farmers on Thursday.

They were later released after farmers made them sit for a few hours, officials said.

However, they were later released after farmers made them sit for a few hours, officials said.

The incident happened in afternoon, when the team, including a patwari, a gram sachiv and an official from the agriculture department, visited Kot Kachua village to verify a satellite image provided by the Haryana Space Applications Centre (HARSAC), Hisar, on stubble burning and accordingly issue a challan.

Sources said when the team was in the village locating the farm, farmers informed the leaders of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh), who rushed to the spot. They protested against the administration and state government to take back this direction of action against farmers.

They also sought answers for their absence when they were facing floods in July and their farms were submerged in water.

A farmer leader said they were not taking them hostage, but asking them to sit and wait, while seeking permission from their senior officials for not issuing a challan.

Jaswinder Saini, deputy director of agriculture (DDA), Ambala, said hours later, a team led by SDO, agriculture, and police reached the village. “The team allowed to leave and farmers were also issued a challan of ₹2,500,” he added.

11 challans issued, penalty of ₹30,000 imposed so far

As per the latest figures available till Thursday, 34 cases have been shared by the HARSAC and one found physically, of which fire was not found on 15 locations. The agriculture department has so far issued 11 challans and imposed a penalty of ₹30,000 on the defaulting farmers. At least 47 villages in the district are under the department surveillance for stubble burning.

While Bhurangpur village (Ambala-I block) and Lohgarh village of (Ambala-II block) have been kept in the red zone, the remaining 45 villages, including 23 in Ambala-I block, seven in Barara, six in Naraingarh, five each in Ambala-II and Saha and one in Shahzadpur are in the yellow zone, based on the incidents of farm fires reported in the district last year.

Officials said the harvesting will be delayed this year by a couple of weeks due to untimely rains.

Last year, 92 cases were reported as against just 56 in 2021. To contain the number of cases, an incentive of ₹1,000 per acre is being given to farmers for in-situ and ex-situ management of paddy stubble.

DDA Saini said to educate farmers on the issue and other options of stubble management, a three-day state-level event will be held in Hisar from October 8 to 10, where 200 farmers from Ambala will also participate.