Multi-pronged plan to check pollution-causing stubble burning

To check the menace of stubble burning in Haryana that causes air pollution, the state Pollution Control Board today announced a multi-pronged strategy which includes satellite monitoring, education of farmers and taking punitive measures under the law.
The state government has, on the initiative of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, also formulated an action plan for utilization of paddy straw.
While stating this here, a spokesman of the Pollution Control Board said during the year 2016, till date, 48 cases of wheat straw burning have been approved for prosecution.
Also, during the year 2015, the Board had filed 46 complaint cases against the violators in the Special Environment Courts at Kurukshetra and Faridabad, out of which 24 cases have already been decided against the violators and 22 cases are pending.

He said the Haryana government had issued a notification dated September 16, 2003 under section 19 (5) of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 prohibiting the burning of left over straw in whole of Haryana.
The HSPCB is enforcing the same through its Regional Officers and is filing cases against the violators with photographic and video graphic evidences in the Special Environment Court on a regular basis.

He said all Deputy Commissioners have also been advised to enforce the above provisions stringently and issue necessary directions and statutory warnings to all the Revenue field officials like BDPO's, Tehsildars and Patwaris to instruct the Sarpanches and Panches in the villages for persuading and educating the farmers on the ban and on the harmful effects of such acts.

All DCs have also been advised to direct the 'Gram Sachivs' and Patwaris to bring all the incidents of burning of wheat stubble or paddy straw and other agricultural waste in the open fields to his notice within 30 minutes of the occurrence of such incidents and in case they fail to do so, without sufficient cause, it shall be treated as dereliction of duty and disciplinary action be initiated against them.
He said the Haryana State Pollution Control Board has already engaged the Haryana Space Applications Centre (HARSAC) to monitor the seasonal rice stubble burning in areas where rice is grown.

Hooda said it has been pointed out by farmers that
mechanised combine harvesting, which has become common in the region, leaves behind large quantities of straws in the field.
"Farmer has to clear fields for next sowing, he takes the easy way out of burning the crop residue, which is wrong," he said.
Among the solutions to this problem, Hooda said, "If this crop residue can be made easily digestible as fodder for the animals, then it can be one way to deal with the problem."
He also said workshops to educate farmers should be held frequently to make them aware about negative effects of burning the residue.

Notably, last year during the harvest season, the authorities in Haryana had initiated action against over 1500 violators, and recovered a fine of nearly Rs 15 lakh.
Both the Haryana and Punjab governments have imposed a ban on burning of paddy residue and the erring farmers can also be prosecuted by the authorities.
However, during October-November last year, reports from various areas of the states, suggested that farmers continued to burn paddy straw despite being asked to shun the practice by the state pollution control boards and the agriculture departments.
Farmers are also being provided subsidy on farm implements like happy seeder, rotavators, straw reapers for managing straw in a sustainable manner.

In the last few years it has been noted that when stubble is burned in the two leading agrarian states, the pollutants enter Delhi, adversely affecting the air quality in the national capital.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had earlier sai that Government was serious to tackle the problems arising out of stubble burning.