7 sarpanches face heat for failure to stop straw burning

Seven sarpanches, along with 40 nodal officers of Faridkot district, have been served notices for their failure to stop stubble burning in their respective areas.

Deputy Commissioner Vineet Kumar has issued show-cause notices to the sarpanches of villages from where more than 10 farm fire incidents were reported.

The notices read that it was their moral duty to stop stubble burning and spreading of air pollution. Since they were elected public representatives, they were duty-bound to stop anything detrimental to public health in their respective areas, read the notices.

Besides, 40 government officials working as nodal officers have also been served notice for their failure to check stubble burning in the villages assigned to them.

In Faridkot district, 170 nodal officers, one for each village, 17 cluster officers and 35 senior officers were tasked with checking farm fires.

Against 256 incidents detected by the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre in the district so far, the administration has confirmed 141 after the spot and physical verification.