E-Paper
Stubble burning: 350 incidents of farm fire reported in Uttar Pradesh in 24 hours
Stubble burning more prevalent in western UP, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Ghaziabad and Baghpat record severe air pollution as AQI crosses 401
As many as 350 incidents of farm fire were reported from several districts of Uttar Pradesh in the last 24 hours contributing to the worsening air quality in the state. The fires are a reflection of the incidents of stubble burning that continue.
Farm fires are a major contributor to air pollution in winter and the effect is palpable in the AQI (air quality index) data of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Four Uttar Pradesh cities, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Ghaziabad and Baghpat, recorded severe air pollution with their air quality index (AQI) crossing 401 during the day.
The air quality of the state capital also reached near the 300-mark and the average AQI recorded there was 246, which is categorised as “poor”.
The farm fires recorded by satellite data are used by Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) to monitor incidents of burning of farm waste, including stubble. According to the satellite data of Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), which is also used by UPPCB, the above-mentioned incidents of farm fires were recorded between Sunday evening and Monday evening.
According to UPPCB experts, the (current) farm fire incidents are 18% more than the average seasonal farm fire incidents recorded in the state in a day, particularly in November.
Chief environmental engineer (UPPCB) VK Singh said the fire incidents were reported from Saharanpur, Meerut, Baghpat, Bijnor, Bulandshahr, Hapur, Etawah, Mainpuri, Unnao, Maharajganj, Bahraich and Gonda districts of Uttar Pradesh, among others.
“West UP districts have more concentration of farm fires as compared to east UP districts,” Singh said.
In previous years, the districts’ administration in many UP districts lodged FIRs and imposed fines on farmers found burning stubble, apart from advising them against the practice. Over 2000 FIRs for stubble burning against farmers across UP was lodged by the local administration last year. In 2019, the number of FIRs was around 3200. Majority of these FIRs were later taken back by the district administration.
No FIR has been lodged against farmers for stubble burning in Uttar Pradesh this harvest season.
Deputy director (agriculture) of Saharanpur Rakesh Kumar Singh claimed that the administration has been able to reduce the incidents of stubble burning through intervention.
“We are in touch with the farmers of the districts and many of them have used alternative methods to remove stubble. The number of stubble burning (instances) has certainly gone down in the district,” he said.
The farmers, on other hand, claim that alternative measures to remove stubble cost them more and are impractical.
“Use of special combines and spraying of enzyme solution to remove stubble cost us more. The big farmers may afford them, but smaller farmers like us don’t have any option part from burning it,” said Sarwajeet Singh, a farmer of the Kalan area of Shahajahanpur district in western UP.
