Despite ban, stubble burning rampant; 164 cases since Sept

All appeals and warnings to farmers by the government seem to have failed to get the desired results as incidents of stubble burning are on the rise. The practice continues unabated across the state, with 164 cases reported from September 15 to date, posing a threat to environment. Of them, 23 cases were reported on Sunday and 14 on Monday.

Karnal and Kurukshetra are leading the tally. With 38 cases, Karnal is at the top, followed by Kurukshetra (37), Ambala (16), Kaithal (13), Yamunanagar and Faridabad (both 10 cases each). Sonepat has reported eight cases, Fatehabad, Jind and Palwal six cases each, Panipat five, Rohtak and Sirsa three each. Besides, one case has been reported in Hisar.

As per the experts, paddy stubble burning, a key contributor to air pollution, has been a long-standing issue which chokes cities with a thick layer of smog and a surge in respiratory diseases.

In an effort to contain the situation, a flying squad consisting of a member from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Charu Sharma, and the Deputy Director of Agriculture, Dr Wazir Singh, visited fields across the district on Monday. They interacted with farmers, exhorting them not to burn the stubble.

“We have constituted 350 teams to inspect the field for checking the stubble burning cases. We got 38 active fire locations, of which we did not find eight. We are making efforts to contain such cases as well as spreading awareness among farmers not to burn stubble,” said Dr Wazir Singh.