The paddy harvesting season has started in Punjab and the State has already recorded a 45% increase in stubble burning incidents till October 11, but the administration hopes the farm fire counts will come down gradually as a result of intensive interventions made this year.
The period between October 15 and November 15 is considered critical as most farmers harvest their paddy crop during this period.
According to data from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), the State had recorded 435 incidents of stubble burning till October 11 last year. This year, the figure has shot up to 630.
Amritsar alone has reported 295 incidents of farm fires during the period. Tarn Taran and Patiala have recorded 126 and 57 cases, respectively.
Punjab Agriculture Secretary K.S. Pannu said the fires detected by satellites don’t give a clear picture of the stubble burning incidents.
“Satellites data also include fires at cremation grounds and dump yards. The number of farm fires in Punjab at present is almost negligible. The overall count this year will be less than last year,” he asserted.
Mr. Pannu said that according to the Centre’s data, stubble burning incidents in Punjab from October 1 to 10 reduced from 1,714 in 2016 to 430 in 2019.
The Punjab government gave 28,000 farm implements, such as happy seeder, super straw management system, paddy straw chopper and mulcher, to farmers and cooperative societies on subsidised rates in 2018 and has sanctioned 23,000 more this year, he said.
PPCB campaign
The Punjab Pollution Control Board has also roped in around 1.2 lakh NSS volunteers in the awareness campaign against stubble burning.
“We have formed around 6,000 teams, each comprising 20 members, which have been visiting every village in the State and persuading farmers against burning crop residue,” PPCB chairman S.S. Marwah said.
