Lucknow Chief secretary Durga Shankar Mishra on Friday directed the district magistrates (DMs) to maintain strict vigilance over incidents of crop stubble burning in their respective districts and to summon lekhpals for any such incidents in revenue villages under their jurisdiction.
During a video conference with DMs from the state’s eight NCR districts and DMs from 10 other relevant districts in the state, he emphasised the importance of persuading farmers not to burn crop residues due to the environmental harm it causes. He stated, “Initially, farmers should be encouraged to refrain from burning stubble, and if appeals prove ineffective, FIRs should be filed with fines imposed.”
Furthermore, the chief secretary called for the establishment of teams at all levels to raise awareness among farmers and enforce rules whenever necessary. He highlighted the potential for converting crop residue into fertilizer using waste decomposer and stressed the need to inform farmers about this possibility.