Punjab farmers' bodies slam action against cultivators for stubble burning

Chandigarh, Sep 30 (PTI) Punjab farmers' bodies on Tuesday slammed the action against paddy growers for stubble burning and demanded a cash incentive for crop residue management.

Despite a ban on crop residue burning, many farmers continue to indulge in the practice to clear the fields for sowing the next wheat crop.

Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is often blamed for the rise in air pollution in Delhi after harvesting of the paddy crop in October and November.

As the window for sowing the Rabi crop -- wheat -- is very short after paddy harvest, some farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue.

Punjab has seen 95 fire incidents from September 15 to September 29. Crop residue burning was physically verified at 51 sites, according to the data of the Punjab Pollution Control Board.

Maximum stubble burning cases have been witnessed in Amritsar at 55, followed by 11 in Tarn Taran, 10 in Patiala, four in Malerkotla and three each in Barnala and Kapurthala.

A fine of Rs 2.30 lakh as environmental compensation has been imposed in 48 cases, according to the PPCB data. Of the total fine, Rs 1.80 lakh has been recovered.

The data also showed that a total of 51 FIRs, including 22 in Amritsar and 11 in Tarn Taran, have been registered in the farm fire incidents.

The cases have been registered under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to disobedience of an order duly promulgated by a public servant.

The state authorities also marked 32 red entries, the maximum in Amritsar, in the land records of erring farmers. The red entries bar farmers from getting loans against their farmland or selling the same.

The process of recording farm fire incidents started on September 15 and will continue till November 30.

Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee leader Sarwan Singh Pandher slammed the state government for its crackdown against farmers.

He alleged that farmers were being deliberately targeted while no action is being taken against the industry, "which contributes the maximum to the environmental pollution".

He strongly condemned the action of registration of FIRs against farmers, red entries and imposition of fine.

Pandher said many small farmers could not afford to buy crop residue management machinery.

He said the KMSC will burn the effigies of the state government and the Centre on October 6 over the issue of action against farmers for stubble burning and to demand adequate compensation for flood-hit farmers.

Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokirkalan said the government should give Rs 2,500 per acre to farmers for the management of stubble.

Kokrikalan said farmers do not want to set the stubble on fire but they do it out of compulsion.

He said it is the farmers who suffer the impact of pollution first.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha leader Raminder Singh Patiala also said the government should give Rs 200 per quintal to farmers for stubble management.

"The government should provide CRM machinery to farmers. It is not feasible for small farmers to buy these machines," he said.

"We strongly oppose registration of cases against farmers," said Patiala.

The SKM leader warned of protests against the crackdown on farmers.

The state recorded 10,909 farm fires in 2024 as compared to 36,663 in 2023, a 70 per cent decrease.

The state had recorded 49,922 fire events in 2022; 71,304 in 2021; 76,590 in 2020; 55,210 in 2019 and 50,590 in 2018, with many districts, including Sangrur, Mansa, Bathinda and Amritsar, witnessing a large number of stubble burning incidents. PTI CHS RT RT