47% dip in wheat stubble burning in Haryana

Chandigarh: Haryana has witnessed 47% decrease in the number of wheat stubble burning incidents as compared to previous year. While a total of 3,911 cases of wheat stubble burning reported in Haryana till May 31, there were 7,383 incidents reported in 2019 during the same duration.

The state authorities have also collected around Rs 9 lakh as compensation and 12 FIRs have been registered in the state so far.

Sources in the Haryana Pollution Control Board (HPCB), which has been monitoring the stubble burning incidents in the state, said these are almost final figures, except some negligible hike in number of incidents, compensation and FIRs, while compiling the complete and final data of this season.

While highest number of wheat stubble burning this year has been reported from Karnal (494), followed by Jind (429), Sonipat (368), Jhajjar (337), Sirsa (330), Fatehabad (313), Rohtak (305), Hisar (282), Panipat (241) and Kaithal (246).

When asked if the lockdown had some impact or reason behind dip in stubble burning cases, the state authorities were of the view that it is difficult to attribute the decrease to lockdown because of multiple factors, especially the economic value of wheat stubble and eco-friendly harvesting equipment. Rain received by the state for few days during harvesting season, however, has also been attributed to the lesser incident.

“Distribution of large number of eco-friendly harvesting equipment should certainly have its own positive impact. Along with these things, the extension activities creating awareness among public about cleaner environment and its benefit, which could have been witnessed by themselves during these lockdown days when we could see the cleaner sky after such a long time, could also have played a constructive role,” S Narayanan, member secretary, HPCB told TOI.

Narayanan said that lockdown has resulted in short of manpower which would have compelled farmers to opt for burning. “At the same time, lockdown has slowed down the economy and people might have wanted to save the resources as much as possible. Wheat stubble is a good cattle feed and has an economic value unlike paddy straw which is not opted due to higher silica content,” he added.

BOX

Stubble burning incidents of wheat season

Year-----Incidents -----FIRs---Fine Collected

2017-----5394----------0--------Rs 10.61L

2018-----7495----------882-----Rs 11.72L

2019-----7383* --------95-------Rs 0.425L

2020-----3911*---------12-------Rs 9L

*Data till May 31 from HPCB

Districts with high number of stubble burning cases

District------Cases

Karnal------494

Jind----------429

Sonipat------368

Jhajjar--------337

Sirsa----------330

Fatehabad-----313

Rohtak---------305

Hisar-----------282

Panipat---------241

Kaithal--------246