A cluster officer overseeing paddy stubble-burning management was allegedly assaulted and left unconscious while videographing farm fires in Punjab's Kang village on Thursday, officials said.
The victim, Maninder Singh, a soil and water conservation officer posted in Khadoor Sahib block, is undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Tarn Taran, where his condition is being closely monitored.
Assaulted repeatedly by assailant
According to sub-divisional officer Sanjeev Sharma, Singh was entrusted with overseeing anti-stubble-burning operations across multiple villages, including Kang, Hothian, Hansawala, Khakh, and Goindwal Sahib, with three nodal officers reporting to him.
During a field inspection in Kang village, Singh identified five farm fires and began recording video evidence required for compliance reporting to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). Singh was confronted by an unidentified assailant while performing his duty, Sharma said.
The attacker, described by officials as tall and stout, assaulted Singh repeatedly. The officer collapsed unconscious in the fields.
Local villagers and the sarpanch rushed Singh to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital. Doctors said he was unconscious on arrival and was admitted to the ICU. Deputy commissioner Rahul condemned the assault, saying, “Strict legal action would be taken against the accused.”
Tarn Taran accounts for highest number of farm fires
Punjab has recorded 813 farm-fire incidents this season, down from 933 cases reported during the corresponding period last year, according to the CAQM’s Wednesday report.
{{/usCountry}}Punjab has recorded 813 farm-fire incidents this season, down from 933 cases reported during the corresponding period last year, according to the CAQM’s Wednesday report.
{{/usCountry}}Tarn Taran accounted for the highest number of incidents at 354, followed by Amritsar with 163. The two border districts together accounted for 517 cases, nearly 64% of the state’s total.
Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is considered one of the factors contributing to an alarming spike in air pollution in the northern region during October and November.
As the window for sowing wheat is very short after paddy harvest, farmers tend to set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue.
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On October 14, Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav, at a meeting, stressed the need to intensify ground monitoring and enforcement to prevent stubble burning, particularly fires set after 3 pm.
Yadav called for special focus on Sangrur, Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Patiala, and Gurdaspur in Punjab, and Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Ambala, and Fatehabad in Haryana.