Crop residue management by farmers leads to drop in field fires in Karnal district by 25%
The contribution of farmers to stubble management, coupled with the joint efforts of officials from the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, has resulted in a decline of 25 per cent in stubble burning cases this year. From September 15 to November 17, the district recorded 90 cases, a significant drop compared to the 120 cases reported during the same period last year.
In previous years, stubble burning posed a much bigger challenge, with 296 cases in 2022 and 935 cases in 2021.
The Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department has taken several steps to address the issue. So far, 79 FIRs have been filed against violators, and fines totaling Rs 3.15 lakh have been imposed. Additionally, a red entry has been made in the revenue records of 120 farmers, prohibiting them from selling their crops through the Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal for two seasons.
“A large number of farmers have adopted stubble management practices to earn a profit from paddy straw instead of burning it. The department has already provided various machines for stubble management, including straw balers, happy seeders, paddy straw choppers, mulchers, rotary plows, super seeders, zero-till drills, hay rakes, and self-propelled crop reapers," said Dr Wazir Singh, Deputy Director of Agriculture (DDA), Karnal.
Team members are working in the field to educate farmers and raise awareness about the benefits of using paddy straw instead of burning it, the DDA added.
Farmers also hailed the efforts of the government for supporting farmers. Vikas Choudhary, a progressive farmer of Taraori who has been implementing techniques aimed at reducing environmental impact and enhancing soil health by cultivating wheat directly in the paddy stubble, said that the government was providing help to farmers, which has reduced the number of stubble burning cases. “I have been adopting the practice of stubble management for several years and this practice increases soil fertility,” said Choudhary.
Haryana records 1,082 cases
The state has also recorded a significant fall in stubble burning cases as it has recorded 1,082 cases so far, in comparison to 2,031 cases last year till this date. In 2022, the state had recorded 3,272 cases during this period and in 2021, it had recorded 6,094 cases.
Out of the total cases recorded this season across Haryana, Kaithal district is leading the tally with 186 cases, followed by Jind with 137 cases, Kurukshetra with 130, Fatehabad with 106, Karnal with 90, Ambala with 87, Sirsa with 69 and Sonepat with 57.
