Stubble burning menace: PPCB to keep tabs on top 10 violating districts

PPCB chairman Adarsh Pal Vig said as many 10 districts reported the greatest number of stubble burning cases in 2020 and 2021

The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) will keep an eye on top 10 districts, known to be chronic violators and reporting the highest number of paddy residue burning incidents during the Kharif season.

The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) will keep an eye on top 10 districts, known to be chronic violators and reporting the highest number of paddy stubble burning incidents during the Kharif season (HT PHOTO)

PPCB chairman Adarsh Pal Vig said as many 10 districts reported the greatest number of stubble burning cases in 2020 and 2021. “Some of these are Sangrur, Ludhiana, Moga, Patiala and Ferozepur.”

Vig said this on the side-lines of a brainstorming workshop on ‘space-based solution for effective management of stubble burning and air pollution’.

He added mere penalty is not enough, intent is also important to end the menace of stubble burning in the state. He said the department is initiating awareness programmes in villages to sensitise farmers about the ill-effects of stubble burning. Vig added that stubble burning leads to environment pollution, depletion of land fertility etc. He said the department is encouraging industrial units to incorporate stubble with rice husk for burning in their furnaces.

Vig added the PPCB and the Punjab remote sensing centre have developed a mobile application through which fire incidents could be tracked on phones.

CM’s home district top air polluter

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district Sangrur was the worst offender on the stubble burning front with 9,705 reported in 2020, while 8,006 in 2021, followed by Moga 5,843 in 2020, 6,515 in 2021, Ferozepur reported 6,947 in 2020, and 6,288 in 2021, Ludhiana witnessed 4,330 in 2020 and 5,817 in 2021, while Bathinda witnessed a decline in fire incident with 7,806 in 2020, 4481 in 2021.

While addressing the experts during the workshop, Dr Anil Sood, senior scientist at Punjab remote sensing centre said that the rising fire incidents following the Rabi crop season (from April 1 to May 30) was a matter of concern (HT PHOTO)

Rabi season too saw rise in stubble burning

While addressing the experts during the workshop, Dr Anil Sood, senior scientist at Punjab remote sensing centre said that the rising fire incidents following the Rabi crop season (from April 1 to May 30) was a matter of concern. He said while 10,907 fire incidents were reported in 2018, 11,701 fire incidents were reported in 2019, 2020 saw 13,420 fire incidents, while 10,100 incidents were reported in 2021. In 2022, 14,511 fire incidents were reported in the state.