Farm fires continue unabated in Haryana, cross 6,000 mark

Haryana has witnessed a 40% increase in stubble burning cases as compared to last year, when the number of AFLs were 4,300 for the corresponding period.

The incidents of stubble burning continued to rage in Haryana on Tuesday with the number of Active Fire Locations (AFLs) crossing the 6,000 mark.

HT File

As per the figures provided by Haryana Space Applications Centre (HARSAC), the number of AFLs have reached 6,109 with 234 fresh incidents of farm fires across the 22 districts in the past 24 hours. Haryana has witnessed a 40% increase in stubble burning cases as compared to last year, when the number of AFLs were 4,300 for the corresponding period.

As per the HARSAC, farm fires continue unabated in all paddy sown districts of the state with Kaithal topping the list with 1,138 incidents followed by 963 in Karnal, 815 in Kurukshetra, 756 in Ambala, 750 in Fatehabad and 466 in Jind , 258 in Sirsa and 163 in Hisar.

Karnal deputy commissioner Nishant Yadav said sarpanches of Ramba and Gondar villages have been suspended for their failure to keep a check on farm fires in their respective villages. In Kaithal, the district administration has imposed a fine of Rs 11 lakh on the erring farmers and 25 FIRs have been registered for burning crop waste.

Air quality remains ‘very poor’ in six cities

The air quality of several cities in the state also continued to remain in ‘very poor’ and ‘poor’ category. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the air quality index of Ambala, Faridabad, Jind, Kaithal, Kurukshetra and Panipat districts was above 300, which is in “very poor” category.

The air quality of eight cities—Fatehabad, Gurugram, Hisar, Karnal, Manesar, Sonepat and Sirsa— was ‘poor’ with the AQI ranging between 200 to 300.