Sudden rise in stubble burning, season’s highest 74 fires recorded in two days

A sudden spike in stubble burning cases was witnessed during the past two days with Ludhiana recording 74 farm fires, which included this season’s highest daily count of 52 on Monday alone, during the past 48 hours.

With this, the total cases of burning paddy residue touched 268, which were the lowest in the state’s biggest and largest district, in terms of area and population, during the current harvesting season.

The rise in the farm fires was phenomenal and could be gauged from the past week’s trend as they went up from 7 on Sunday, 5 on Saturday, 4 on Friday, 1 on Thursday, none on Wednesday, 6 on Tuesday and 9 on last Monday.

While 22 stubble burning cases were reported on November 19, Monday had recorded 52 fire events.

The cases reported during the past 48 hours were even more than double of 32 stubble burning incidents recorded in the district during the past one week.

However, the cumulative figure of 268 farm fires this season so far were almost 15 per cent of 1,720 cases reported during the corresponding period last year and around 10 per cent of 2,588 stubble burning incidents recorded till November 19 in 2022.

The district administration, on its part, was acting tough not only against the violators but also the enforcement machinery to check the menace.

Besides initiating prosecution proceedings against a nodal/ supervisory officer and putting another 48 officials on notice for their failure to check farm fires in different parts of Ludhiana during the current Kharif (paddy harvesting) season, the administration has also registered 135 FIRs against the erring farmers, has made red entries in the revenue records of 100 peasants, and has imposed fine (environmental compensation) of Rs 3.98 lakh against those found putting paddy straw on fire.

The prosecution complaint has been filed under Section 14 of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) Act against a nodal/ supervisory officer while 48 other nodal/ supervisory officers have been issued warning/ show- cause notices, Deputy Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal told The Tribune.

He said Section 14 of the CAQM Act of 2021 addresses penalties for violating the Act, rules, orders, or directions issued by the commission.

“Any violation of the Act is punishable with a fine of up to Rs 1 crore, imprisonment for up to five years, or both,” Jorwal revealed while stating that the offence was non-cognisable, which means the jurisdictional Judicial Magistrate of the First Class can only take cognisance of the offence if the commission or an authorised officer files a complaint.

However, provisions of the section did not apply to farmers, who cause air pollution by stubble burning or mismanagement of agricultural residue.

He said besides filing prosecution, departmental action had also been recommended against a nodal/ supervisory officer, who was responsible for enforcing the Act, but failed to check the violation of the CAQM Act.

Another 48 nodal/ supervisory officers have been warned and asked to show cause on why prosecution proceedings should not be initiated against them as well for failing to check stubble burning incidents in their respective jurisdictions.

The DC shared that 135 FIRs under Section 223 of the BNS had been lodged against the erring farmers, 100 red entries had been made in the revenue records of the violators and Rs 3.98-lakh environmental compensation had been imposed so far on peasants who had set their farms on fire, of which Rs 3.5-lakh had already been recovered.

Experts, however, said incidents of farm fires were limited to a few more days as almost 98 per cent paddy had already been harvested in the district.

The Agriculture Department said around 2 per cent of the total 2.57-lakh hectares paddy area was left for harvesting in Ludhiana.

Meanwhile, the administration had identified 30 hotspots of stubble burning across 5 blocks in the district this season.

Jorwal said the hotspots had been marked on the basis of farm fire incidents reported during the past year and number of crop residue management machineries available at identified physical locations in Ludhiana.

With 2.57 lakh hectares, which is equivalent to 6.35 lakh acres, under paddy cultivation, the maximum in the state, the district will generate 16.53 lakh tonnes of paddy straw at the rate of 6.43 tonnes per hectare.

He said 8,223 machines of 13 types had been made available to manage stubble in 969 villages spread across 11 blocks in the district.

The hotspots

The 30 hotspots of stubble burning are Rasulpur, Malha, Hathur, Bassian, Manuke, Kaonke Kalan, Dahlla, Chhajjawal, Lohat Baddi, Jalaldiwal, Nathowal, Roomi, Kamal Pura, Jhordan, Swadai Kalan, Hans Kalan, Rashin, Dhoorkot, Galib Kalan, Barde Ke, Lakha, Gobindgarh, Kalsian, Abbupura, Chiman, Akhara, Chak Bhaika, Johlan, Talwandi Rai and Sahouli.