Punjab: With no alternative in hand, farmers forced to burn stubble

Farmers from Punjab's Patiala on Thursday claimed that with no alternatives left, they are forced to burn stubble.

"We have no alternative. The government has not even waived off our loans. Does only stubble burning cause pollution and not crackers and celebrations during Dushhera and Diwali?" said one of the farmers.

Despite a prohibition on the burning of the farm residue, the farmers are set to go against the orders and continue burning stubble this year as well.

Talking to ANI on October 6, President of Bharatiya Kisan Union, Balbir Singh Rajewal said that he and many like him are well aware of the consequences and have no other option but to burn the dry straw.

Rajewal further claimed that the farmers do not have required machinery available, which was promised to them at a subsidised rate by the government.

"The government is implementing half-order. We will be fined if we burn the paddy straw. Secondly, they have said that the machinery will be provided free of cost. The government has supplied less than four per cent of the total machinery required to the farmers," he said.

Considering the problems of the farmers, Rajewal said that, "the farmers will burn the residue as they do it every year."

In the Union Budget 2018, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had assured to provide assistance to the Government of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi National Capital Territory (NCT) to deal with the worsening air quality.

The decision came after Delhi's air pollution levels spiked last year, leaving the people gasping for breath.