UP govt suspends 9 officials in Maharajganj as stubble burning cases rise

Maharajganj administration has suspended nine lekhpals for alleged negligence over continuous rise in stubble burning cases, officials said on Tuesday.

Show-cause notices have also been issued to the sub-divisional officers of four tehsils, the deputy director of agriculture and station house officers of several police stations, they said.

Notices have additionally been sent to multiple village heads.

According to the officials, 40 combine harvesters found violating paddy-cutting guidelines have been seized, and fines amounting to several lakhs of rupees was imposed.

Maharajganj currently tops Uttar Pradesh in stubble burning incidents, with 380 cases recorded so far.

Despite awareness campaigns and intensified enforcement, officials said the expected decline in cases has not been observed.

District Magistrate Santosh Kumar Sharma has been holding daily review meetings with officials to devise strategies to curb the practice, given the environmental and health hazards associated with it.

He has also been visiting villages to make farmers aware of the dangers of burning crop residue.

Sharma said around 90 per cent of the district's farmers grow paddy, and most instances of stubble burning are being reported from these areas.

Action has been taken against several individuals so far, and fines totalling nearly Rs 16 lakh have been imposed.

The administration said both the awareness drive and strict action will continue in the coming days.