Ludhiana: District Administration intensifies drive against stubble burning, 22 farmers arrested

In a drive to contain stubble burning to check pollution, the Ludhiana District Administration has arrested 22 farmers and registered 45 FIRs.

Burning of paddy straw in the fields of Punjab is one of the reasons leading to thick layer of smog in the northern plains of the country.

Deputy Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Agrawal said, "Besides FIR's, the PPCB filed 34 challans directly in the court, 13 combines were challaned Rs 2 lakh each as Super SMS was not fitted on them, 243 cases with around Rs 8 lakh compensation were filed by PPCB, red entries in khasra girdawri's were also made, and 77 cluster teams were formed to check cases of stubble burning in the district".

He urged the sarpanches to ensure that no incidents related to the burning of paddy straw should take place in their villages.

The Supreme Court of India has ordered that accountability of the village sarpanch could also be fixed if he or she fails to prevent such fire incidents.

Commissioner of Police Rakesh Kumar Agrawal, Senior police and district administration officials, SDM (East) Amarjit Singh Bains, Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Baldev Singh, Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) officials and others also carried inspections at different villages namely Khasi Kalan, Hawas, Sahibana, Rajool, besides several others of district Ludhiana on Tuesday.