Stubble burning increases in Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, officials promise action

Both district authorities have put together a slew of measures in their respective winter action plans to keep sources of air pollution in check, including instances of crop residue burning

Even as Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar districts prepare action plans to combat the spike in air pollution during the approaching winter season, instances of crop residue burning are now increasing.

HT, during a spot visit, found crop residue burning in a field at Nahal in Dasna near the Delhi Meerut Expressway on Wednesday. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

HT, during a spot visit, found crop residue burning in a field at Nahal in Dasna near the Delhi Meerut Expressway on Wednesday.

Both district authorities have put together a slew of measures in their respective winter action plans to keep sources of air pollution in check, including instances of crop residue burning.

According to official statistics from the Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modelling from Space (CREAMS) Laboratory of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Gautam Budh Nagar reported five instances of crop residue burning from September 15 to October 12 this year, while Ghaziabad reported two instances during the same period.

During the same period in 2020, both districts reported only one instance each.

“The instances will continue to rise as disposing of the crop residue is a costly affair for poor and marginal farmers. So, they resort to burning it. More awareness should be spread, and farmers should be incentivised with affordable equipment for the safe disposal of crop residue,” said Akash Vashishtha, a city-based environmentalist and lawyer.

“If the instances are being reported, it indicates that there is lack of monitoring,” he added.

According to CREAMS reports, a total of 2,954, 1,506, and 1,559 instances were reported from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh from October 1 to October 12 in 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively.

“We are properly monitoring crop residue burning in Dasna and our teams cover the urban areas of the town. Rural belts in Dasna are monitored by teams of the revenue department. Once we get the information, we act on it and also take legal action. Last year too, we lodged several FIRs in connection with the crop residue burning incidents,” said Manoj Kumar, executive officer of Dasna Nagar Palika in Ghaziabad.

Suhas LY, the district magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar, said that he has taken different measures to keep in check the instance of crop residue burning.

“Recently, four incidents of crop residue burning were reported in one day, and we took punitive action against the erring persons and fined them. We also issued show-cause notices against the local staff and against the agricultural department staff. Also, the staff of agriculture and revenue departments has been sensitising locals against any burning activity,” the DM added.

“In all, five incidents have been reported in the district so far,” he added.

On Wednesday, the Gautam Budh Nagar administration also said that they will impose a fine of ₹2,500 per instance in case the land is smaller than two acres; ₹5,000 in case the land is two acres to five acres, and ₹15,000 in case the land is over five acres.

Officials said that the farmers can avail the waste decomposer facility, which is available free of cost with the agriculture department, and this can help in convert the waste crop residue to manure.