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Stubble burning: Sangrur admin takes action, makes red entries in revenue records
Sangrur has had 2,721 cases of stubble burning during the kharif (monsoon crop) season, while the number of farm fires in the district stood at 8,006 in 2021
In Sangrur, the district in Punjab that is ‘infamous’ for recording the highest number of farm fire incidents, the local administration has swung into action and started making red entries in the revenue records of farmers who are found burning stubble in their fields, and is also imposing fine on those caught burning paddy straws.
Sangrur has contributed around 12.66% of the overall farm fire incidents of Punjab. Incidentally, it is also the home town of chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.
The administration is taking action contrary to the state government’s ‘written assurance’ to farmers. However, now the government too has started using force against farmers seeing the alarming rise in pollution levels in the national capital region (NCR) and neighbouring areas.
The state revenue department has marked red entries in their record of 285 farmers who indulged in the practice, while the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has imposed a penalty of over ₹7.12 lakh on these farmers.
With 677 cases of farm fires, Sangrur administration on Wednesday recorded the highest number of such incidents for the sixth consecutive day.
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Sangrur has had 2,721 cases of stubble burning during the kharif (monsoon crop) season, while the number of farm fires in the district stood at 8,006 in 2021, which is also the highest in the state.
“We are taking action against those farmers indulging in farm fires. There is no order with us for not taking any action against farmers,” said Mohit Singla, assistant environmental engineer (AEE) and nodal officer for stubble burning cases in Sangrur.
Sukhdev Singh Kokri, general secretary of BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan), said, “We knew that for sure that we have to struggle for the implementation of demands. Governments do this all the time. They make people struggle for implementation of accepted demands.”
