7 booked, nine fined for burning paddy stubble

With the implementation of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage-1, the district administration has started tightening the noose around farmers involved in stubble burning.

Cases have been registered against seven farmers in the district while nine farmers have been challaned for burning their paddy crop residue in their fields. Deputy Commissioner (DC) Virender Kumar Dahiya directed the teams to keep vigil till November 15 in fields and the dates may be extended accordingly.

The DC also warned the farmers not to burn stubble in their fields otherwise action would be initiated against them for violating pollution norms. He said that the Agriculture Department was keeping an eye on farmers involved in burning crop residues through satellites and mobile teams. He said the Haryana Space Application Centre had installed three satellites which were keeping tabs on fields in the state.

He said that a total of 24 locations of stubble burning had come to the fore in the district so far, of which the maximum 10 were reported in Samalkha, four in Israna, Madlauda and Panipat each, and two in the Bopoli area here.

The department has registered criminal cases against seven farmers while nine farmers have been challaned in the district so far, the DC said. Devender Kuhar, SDO, Agriculture Department, said the government was giving Rs 1,000 per acre to the farmers who didn’t burn stubble in their fields.

The facility of bailers is being provided to 48 farmers in the district, he added. DC Dahiya said monitoring committees from district level to village level were keeping tabs on farmers to curb stubble burning in the district.

A team comprising ACP, DRO, DDPO, Deputy Director Agriculture and Regional Officer of the Pollution Department was working at the district level; a team comprising DSP, Tehsildar, SDO, Agriculture, and SDP, Pollution Board, at subdivisional level, a team comprising BDPO, Naib Tehsildar, concerned SHO and block agriculture officer at block level while a team comprising ADO, Patwari, panchayat secretary, police representative, sarpanch and nambardar were monitoring to stop the stubble burning at village level.