78% reduction in farm fire incidents in Fatehabad dist

After earning the dubious distinction of being at the top of the list for farm fire incidents for three consecutive years, the Fatehabad district has registered a significant decline of about 78 per cent in such cases this year.

According to data of the Haryana Space Applications Centre (HARSAC), the total active fire locations (AFLs) registered in the last three years (2021, 2022, 2023) in Fatehabad district were 1,432, 746 and 546, respectively. However, in the current year so far, a total of 121 HARSAC locations have been reported in the district.

The district spokesperson informed that in 2023, there were 33 villages in Red Zone and 76 villages in Yellow/Orange Zone but till now, there was no village in the Red Zone and 29 villages were in Yellow/Orange Zone.

Deputy Commissioner, Fatehabad, Mandeep Kaur said that there had been 28.48 per cent reduction in the AFLs in 2021, 48.14 per cent reduction in AFLs in 2022, 24.5 per cent reduction in 2023 and a significant reduction of 76.86 per cent in the incidents of crop residue burning this year.

The DC said that various awareness activities had been organised by the district administration at the village level. He said a total of 371 village-level awareness camps were organised — 33 in Red Zone villages, 76 in Yellow Zone villages and 262 in other villages — to date. She said 85 school-level activities had been organised in government schools of Fatehabad district. Four district level camps were organised in different villages.

She said demonstrations of crop residue management (CRM) implements had been organised in all camps. Fifteen fire brigades were deputed at the block level to extinguish fires on the spot.

The DC claimed that the trend shows that the impact of awareness and incentive schemes had shown results. In 2023, a total of Rs 11.23 crore was given as incentives to farmers (Rs 1,000 per acre) for management of paddy straw and Rs 3.69 lakh was given to gaushalas as transportation charges for paddy straw to be used as fodder for cattle.

So far, 54 FIRs have been lodged and 54 challan issued against erring farmers and 65 red entries have been made on portal. The Deputy Commissioner said that under the crop residue management, teams were deputed at village level/block level/sub-division level, which include Sub Divisional Officer (Civil) and officials of the Revenue Department, Panchayat Department, Agriculture Department and Police Department.