Stubble burning cases in Punjab cross 48,000

PATIALA: The Rs 100 per quintal financial assistance to farmers to not set their crop residue on fire has failed to bring down stubble burning incidents in Punjab as the number of cases crossed the 48,000 mark on Monday. The total number of farm fires this season is likely to cross last year’s 49,000 cases as, on an average, almost 2,000 such incidents have been reported daily in the last one week.

By November 10 last year, 40,774 cases had been reported; this number has already been crossed.

On Monday, 794 incidents of stubble burning were recorded in the state, taking the total to 48,155 since September 23, according to data released by the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC). Sangrur had the highest number of stubble-burning cases reported on Monday at 178, followed by Mansa (162), Bathinda (158), Barnala (131), Muktsar (57), Faridkot (43), Patiala (41), Moga (10), Amritsar (4), Fatehgarh Sahib (3), Tarn Taran (3), Fazilka (3) and Ludhiana (1).

The rising number of stubble-burning incidents has dashed the hopes of state officials engaged in efforts to curb farm fires for the last three years. The high number of farm fires also indicates that the experiment to bring down these numbers by introducing in-situ stubble management machines has failed in the state.

Punjab agriculture secretary Kahan Singh Pannu, who is also the nodal officer to curb stubble burning, said it is surprising to know that despite all efforts the farmers are refusing to give up the practice. “While the number has dropped from more than 80,000 in 2017 to nearly 50,000 this year, there is nothing to cheer about till date,” he said.

Meanwhile, state government sources said a proposal to withdraw the subsidy on stubble management equipment to farmers who set crop residue on fire is under consideration. Pannu said no such decision is being considered but some district monitoring committees are already trying to dissuade farmers from burning stubble by claiming that this could lead to the withdrawal of subsidies on the stubble management machines bought by them.

Pannu said it was apparent that the subsidies had failed to generate the desired results. “The farmers are adamant about seeking compensation of Rs 200 per quintal to manage the stubble. The cost of running stubble management machines definitely prevented them from adopting these techniques in a big way,” he said

Despite all efforts, including FIRs registered against farmers, imposition of environmental compensation, and the awareness drives, the farmers have not adopted alternative means.

According to one senior state government official who did not wish to be quoted, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh had asked the Union government to chip in Rs 100 (per quintal) to compensate farmers for not setting stubble on fire .