Stubble burning at Kushaliya: DM suspends lekhpal, directs for FIR

Ghaziabad: In connection with an alleged incident of stubble burning at Kushaliya village near Dasna on Tuesday, the district administration on Wednesday suspended

Ghaziabad: In connection with an alleged incident of stubble burning at Kushaliya village near Dasna on Tuesday, the district administration on Wednesday suspended a lekhpal (local revenue official) and also directed for an FIR against the erring persons.

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The Ghaziabad district magistrate, Ajay Shankar Pandey, has directed the officials to be regular with checking of such instances and ensure that preventive measures are also taken up.

HT had reported on Tuesday about the instance of stubble burning at Kushaliya. The daily had also shared some pictures of the incident with the district administration officials. Following that, the DM sent some officials for verification at the site and found that the instance of stubble burning had actually taken place, officials said.

“In connection with the incident, I have suspended a lekhpal on account of lax supervision and also ordered for an FIR against the erring persons. I have also directed the agriculture department officials to be more proactive in approach and remain mobile in areas having farms so that such incidents are not repeated,” Pandey said.

“Instead of enforcement, we are focusing more on preventive measures so that such incidents do not take place. I have directed officials for making announcements in villages and also to take up wall paintings so that farm owners keep informed about not to burn stubble. We have also asked officials to collect stubble and sent it to Gaushalas,” he added.

According to the officials, the district magistrate sent sub-divisional magistrate to the spot at Kushaliya who found that farm is owned by different set of people while another person was entrusted for cultivation of crop.

On the basis of the report received from the SDM, an FIR was filed under IPC sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 278 (making atmosphere noxious to health), 290 (punishment for public nuisance) and 291 (continuance of nuisance) at Masuri police station.

“We have registered the FIR and have also asked our local police post in-charge to remain alert about such incidents so that they are not repeated,” said Neeraj Kumar Jadaun, superintendent of police (rural).

Pandey said that all the measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which is coming into effect from October 15, will be implemented. “All the respective agencies have been asked to remain alert and take up pollution abatement measures in their respective jurisdictions. The UP Pollution Control Board officials will also keep a check and recommend penalty in case they find erring instances,” the DM said.

Meanwhile, according to the Central Pollution Control Board figures on Wednesday, the air quality index in Ghaziabad, Greater Noida and Noida stood at 291, 286 and 273, respectively, all falling under the ‘poor’ category.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

“A meeting regarding GRAP was also taken on Wednesday by the divisional commissioner (Meerut) and she has directed all the departments to remain vigilant and ensure that pollution abatement measures are taken up on continuous basis,” said Utsav Sharma, regional officer of UPPCB.