Stubble burning cases in key grain-producing States of Punjab and Haryana have dipped this season compared to the last year, according to officials.
With paddy harvest in full swing, Punjab this year witnessed 3,228 cases of stubble burning between September 27 and October 22 compared to the 8,420 cases reported in 2017 during the corresponding period, according to data from the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC). In 2016 the figure was 13, 358 during the same period.
Punjab’s State nodal officer for anti-stubble burning campaign K.S. Pannu attributed the drop to the constructive response of the farmers, coupled with environmental friendly initiatives taken by the State government as well as the Centre. In a statement, Mr. Pannu said that due to this the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Punjab was far better now than it was last year. “AQI of Punjab is 111 against 326 in the corresponding period last year,” he said.
“In Punjab, as many as 24,315 subsidised agro-machines and equipment are being supplied to the farmers, co-operative societies and custom hiring centres to achieve zero burning of paddy straw,” he said. Over 21,000 farm equipment and agro-machines have so far been given to the farmers for in-situ management of paddy straw in a scientific manner.
Mr. Pannu said an awareness campaign had been launched, and nodal officers appointed in 8,000 paddy growing villages to check stubble burning.
Paddy is grown in about 30 lakh hectares in Punjab. After its harvesting, about 20 million tonnes of straw is left on the fields. It is estimated that 15 million tonnes of straw is burnt on the open fields to clear the land for sowing wheat or other crops.
In neighbouring Haryana, meanwhile, according to the government statement, the burning of paddy stubble had been reported only on 6,200 hectares till date. “This was only 0.6% of the total area on which harvesting had taken place. Paddy had been sown on 13 lakh hectares in Haryana. Till now harvesting had taken place on 10 lakh hectares,” said an official statement.
