News Analysis India

Tag: stubble burning

  • Punjab sees nearly 1,900 farm fires on Saturday

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Despite the Punjab government carrying out a massive awareness programme to dissuade farmers from setting crop residue on fire, the state recorded 1,898 stubble burning incidents on Saturday.

    With this, the cumulative number of farm fire incidents between September 15 and October 29 now stands at 12,112, according to Ludhiana-based Punjab Remote Sensing Centre data.

    During the corresponding in 2020 and 2021, the state had reported 23,187 and 8,856 stubble burning incidents respectively.

    Out of total 1,898 farm fire incidents on Saturday, Sangrur recorded the highest number of 286 cases, followed by 268 in Patiala, 192 in Tarn Taran, 109 in Barnala, 108 in Bathinda, 105 in Ludhiana and 104 in Ferozepur, as per the data.

    The state had reported 1,541 and 1,353 active fire incidents on October 29 in 2020 and 2021 respectively, according to the data. After Diwali, the state has seen a jump in the number of stubble burning incidents.

    The state’s total number of farm fires has more than doubled to 12,112 in comparison to 5,617 incidents on October 24, as per the data. Major farm fire incidents are now being witnessed in the state’s Malwa region.

    During the period from September 15 to October 29, Tarn Taran reported 2,188 farm fires, followed by 1,327 in Patiala, 1,296 in Amritsar and 1,046 in Sangrur.

    In neighbouring Haryana, many places reported air quality indices in ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories on Saturday evening.

    Faridabad reported its air quality index at 397, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

    Among other areas in the state, Manesar reported an AQI at 381, Gurugram 375, Fatehabad 373, Bahadurgarh 363, Charkhi Dadri 353, Bhiwani 327, Sonipat 332, Rohtak 309, Kurukshetra 273 and Ambala 254.

    In Punjab, Amritsar, Khanna, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Mandi Gobindgarh and Patiala reported their respective AQIs at 215, 186, 177, 220, 160 and 208, as per the data. The Union Territory of Chandigarh reported an AQI of 192.

    An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.

    Meanwhile, Bharti Kisan Union (Lakhowal) general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal on Saturday asked the government to pay Rs 100 per quintal or Rs 5,000 per acre to a farmer for stubble management.

    “We also do not want it to burn it as its smoke reaches our villages first. Therefore, we request the government to support us, otherwise farmers will be forced to burn crop residue,” Lakhowal told reporters in Jalandhar.

    Earlier in the day in Mohali, Punjab Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan exhorted farmers not to burn stubble so as to keep the environment clean and pollution-free.

    Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November.

    As the window for Rabi crop wheat is very short after paddy harvest, farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue.

    Punjab generates around 180 lakh tonne of paddy straw annually. Punjab recorded 71,304 such fire incidents in 2021, 76,590 in 2020, 55,210 in 2019, 50,590 in 2018, 45,384 in 2017 and 81,042 in 2016.

    CHANDIGARH: Despite the Punjab government carrying out a massive awareness programme to dissuade farmers from setting crop residue on fire, the state recorded 1,898 stubble burning incidents on Saturday.

    With this, the cumulative number of farm fire incidents between September 15 and October 29 now stands at 12,112, according to Ludhiana-based Punjab Remote Sensing Centre data.

    During the corresponding in 2020 and 2021, the state had reported 23,187 and 8,856 stubble burning incidents respectively.

    Out of total 1,898 farm fire incidents on Saturday, Sangrur recorded the highest number of 286 cases, followed by 268 in Patiala, 192 in Tarn Taran, 109 in Barnala, 108 in Bathinda, 105 in Ludhiana and 104 in Ferozepur, as per the data.

    The state had reported 1,541 and 1,353 active fire incidents on October 29 in 2020 and 2021 respectively, according to the data. After Diwali, the state has seen a jump in the number of stubble burning incidents.

    The state’s total number of farm fires has more than doubled to 12,112 in comparison to 5,617 incidents on October 24, as per the data. Major farm fire incidents are now being witnessed in the state’s Malwa region.

    During the period from September 15 to October 29, Tarn Taran reported 2,188 farm fires, followed by 1,327 in Patiala, 1,296 in Amritsar and 1,046 in Sangrur.

    In neighbouring Haryana, many places reported air quality indices in ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories on Saturday evening.

    Faridabad reported its air quality index at 397, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

    Among other areas in the state, Manesar reported an AQI at 381, Gurugram 375, Fatehabad 373, Bahadurgarh 363, Charkhi Dadri 353, Bhiwani 327, Sonipat 332, Rohtak 309, Kurukshetra 273 and Ambala 254.

    In Punjab, Amritsar, Khanna, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Mandi Gobindgarh and Patiala reported their respective AQIs at 215, 186, 177, 220, 160 and 208, as per the data. The Union Territory of Chandigarh reported an AQI of 192.

    An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.

    Meanwhile, Bharti Kisan Union (Lakhowal) general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal on Saturday asked the government to pay Rs 100 per quintal or Rs 5,000 per acre to a farmer for stubble management.

    “We also do not want it to burn it as its smoke reaches our villages first. Therefore, we request the government to support us, otherwise farmers will be forced to burn crop residue,” Lakhowal told reporters in Jalandhar.

    Earlier in the day in Mohali, Punjab Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan exhorted farmers not to burn stubble so as to keep the environment clean and pollution-free.

    Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November.

    As the window for Rabi crop wheat is very short after paddy harvest, farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue.

    Punjab generates around 180 lakh tonne of paddy straw annually. Punjab recorded 71,304 such fire incidents in 2021, 76,590 in 2020, 55,210 in 2019, 50,590 in 2018, 45,384 in 2017 and 81,042 in 2016.

  • Stubble burning: More than 700 farm fires recorded in Punjab .

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: More than 700 farm fires have been recorded so far in Punjab despite the state authorities making several efforts to curb the practice of stubble burning.

    According to data from the Ludhiana-based Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, the state witnessed four farm fire incidents—two in Amritsar and one each in Ludhiana and Kapurthala on Monday.

    From September 15 till October 10, a total of 718 farm fire incidents have been recorded, as per the data.

    On the same day in 2020 and 2021, the state had witnessed 244 and 150 farm fires, respectively, according to the data.

    The farm fires continued despite the state government assuring more crop residue management machines and launching massive awareness programmes against stubble burning.

    The stubble burning incidents are expected to rise in coming days as paddy harvesting got delayed by at least 10 days because of rains last month.

    A few days ago, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had even held meetings with various farmer bodies and had told them that his government was making all-out efforts for the management of paddy stubble and had urged the farmers to support it for the same while stressing the need for protecting the environment.

    Mann had also said that a total of 1.22 lakh crop residue management machines had been made available for farmers in the current season.

    A mobile app had also been developed whereby farmers could come to know about the availability of machines for the management of paddy straw within a radius of two-three kilometers.

    However, farmers have been demanding Rs 6,000 per acre for stubble management.

    Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November.

    As the window for rabi crop wheat is very short after paddy harvest, farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue.

    Punjab generates around 180 lakh tonnes of paddy straw annually.

    The state recorded 71,304 such fire incidents in 2021, 76,590 in 2020, 55,210 in 2019 and 50,590 in 2018 with many districts including Sangrur, Mansa, Bathinda and Amritsar witnessing large number of stubble-burning incidents.

    CHANDIGARH: More than 700 farm fires have been recorded so far in Punjab despite the state authorities making several efforts to curb the practice of stubble burning.

    According to data from the Ludhiana-based Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, the state witnessed four farm fire incidents—two in Amritsar and one each in Ludhiana and Kapurthala on Monday.

    From September 15 till October 10, a total of 718 farm fire incidents have been recorded, as per the data.

    On the same day in 2020 and 2021, the state had witnessed 244 and 150 farm fires, respectively, according to the data.

    The farm fires continued despite the state government assuring more crop residue management machines and launching massive awareness programmes against stubble burning.

    The stubble burning incidents are expected to rise in coming days as paddy harvesting got delayed by at least 10 days because of rains last month.

    A few days ago, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had even held meetings with various farmer bodies and had told them that his government was making all-out efforts for the management of paddy stubble and had urged the farmers to support it for the same while stressing the need for protecting the environment.

    Mann had also said that a total of 1.22 lakh crop residue management machines had been made available for farmers in the current season.

    A mobile app had also been developed whereby farmers could come to know about the availability of machines for the management of paddy straw within a radius of two-three kilometers.

    However, farmers have been demanding Rs 6,000 per acre for stubble management.

    Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November.

    As the window for rabi crop wheat is very short after paddy harvest, farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue.

    Punjab generates around 180 lakh tonnes of paddy straw annually.

    The state recorded 71,304 such fire incidents in 2021, 76,590 in 2020, 55,210 in 2019 and 50,590 in 2018 with many districts including Sangrur, Mansa, Bathinda and Amritsar witnessing large number of stubble-burning incidents.

  • Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi promises farmers to quash old, stubble burning FIRs against them

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government has decided to withdraw cases registered against farmers in the farmer stir and upped the compensation for damage to cotton crop to Rs 17,000 per acre from Rs 12,000. However, the government is silent on the contentious issue of farm loans worth Rs 1.25 lakh crore. Nor has it decided the pension amount for old farmers.

    Cotton growers are the main recipients of relief declared by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. They suffered huge losses due to a pest attack on crops. Farm labourers, too, have benefited from the government largesse.

    Channi on Wednesday chaired a meeting of representatives of 32 farm unions represented by the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and led by Punjab BKU (Rajewal Group) chief Balbir Singh Rajewal. Channi said the enhanced compensation would involve nearly Rs 200 crore in addition to the already approved Rs 416.18 crore.

    Channi also announced cancellation of all cases registered by the state police against farmers who protested against the Central farm laws within the state. The CM assured SKM representatives he would take up the matter with the Governor, who is also the administrator of Chandigarh, to withdraw cases against those who participated in a protest march towards Raj Bhawan. 

    “We reminded the CM that his party is yet to honour its promise to waive farm loans amounting to Rs 90,000 lakh crore due to arhtiyas, cooperative banks, and commercial banks. The CM has assured us he would call a separate meeting within a week,” Rajewal said. 

    Channi referred to the demand for a loan waiver for small, marginal and landless farmers, saying he would meet their representatives after a detailed briefing by the finance department. He said that 5.63 lakh farmers have benefitted from the earlier loan waiver amounting to Rs 4,610.84 crore. Besides, Rs 520 crore have gone to landless farmers and farm workers.

  • Punjab CM Channi promises farmers to quash old, stubble burning FIRs against them

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday promised farmers to drop old cases of stubble burning against them but asked them not to set the paddy straw on fire in future.

    The chief minister also promised to cancel all FIRs against farmers, registered in the state during their protests against the Centre’s three farm laws.

    He also announced his government decision to raise the compensation for the loss of the cotton crop to Rs 17,000 per acre from Rs 12,000 per acre.

    Channi made these promises during a meeting with the representatives of Punjab’s 32 farm bodies here.

    Addressing the media after the meeting, Channi, while acceding to farmers’ demands, said his government will cancel all FIRs registered by the Punjab Police against farmers protesting against farm laws in the state.

    “With this, we want that no farmer should set stubble on fire in future and the government will act strictly against the violation,” he said.

    “But if any old FIR related to the stubble burning is there against anyone, we are cancelling it,” he added.

    “But it is my request to farmers that they should not set the straw on fire as it causes pollution,” Channi reiterated.

    Channi’s statement comes amid rising incidents of stubble burning with Punjab recording over 69,000 such incidents this season.

    Stubble burning is banned but many farmers continue to flout it.

    Delhi and Haryana have taken several emergency measures including the closure of schools (in four districts in Haryana) and a ban on construction work to curb air pollution.

    Later while speaking on the issue of stubble burning, farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said he told the CM that the decision of the National Green Tribunal should be implemented in which farmers having less than 2.50 acres of land should be given farm machinery for the management of crop residue free of cost.

    Farmers were being fined but no machinery was given to them, he said, adding he also asked the state government why the central funds of Rs 375 crore for giving subsidy on the machinery has not been released.

    He asserted that the number of farm fire incidents were less this season.

    On the relief related to cotton crop loss due to pink bollworm attack, Channi announced a hike in the compensation amount from Rs 12,000 to Rs 17,000 per acre, besides a 10 per cent of the relief to farm labourers engaged for the picking of cotton.

    Channi said giving higher compensation would cost nearly Rs 200 crore more to the state government over the already approved sum of Rs 416.18 crore for it at the rate of Rs 12,000 per acre.

    He also told farmer leaders that he would personally take up the matter with the Punjab governor to withdraw the cases against the farmers who participated in the protest march towards Punjab Raj Bhawan against farm laws.

    Taking a serious note of the supply of “spurious quality” paddy seeds to farmers in Moga, Channi asked the agriculture minister to take stern action against the fraudulent seed company and ordered due compensation to affected farmers.

    On the “meagre compensation” to farmers for their land acquired for the Delhi-Katra-Amritsar expressway, Channi said he would personally convene a meeting of all divisional and deputy commissioners to rationalise the rates of compensation.

    Referring to the demand for waiving the outstanding farm loans, Channi said he would have a separate meeting with them after detailed deliberations with the state’s Finance Department.

    Expressing solidarity with bereaved families of farmers, who lost their breadwinners during farmers’ agitation, the chief minister said the state government has already provided government jobs to 152 victim families, besides giving a financial aid of Rs 5 lakh to each of them.

    Talking to reporters later, farmer leader Rajewal said they also raised the issue of pension for farmers and farm labourers.

    He also said the farm bodies in Punjab were against Haryana farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni who was trying to implement his “political agenda” in the state with his “Mission Punjab”.

    Chaduni had earlier asked farmer outfits in Punjab to contest the upcoming state assembly polls.

    Meanwhile, before the meeting with the chief minister, several farmer leaders held a protest outside the meeting venue, claiming that they were allegedly pushed by the security men when they were trying to enter the Punjab Bhawan.

    They threatened not to attend the meeting till the CM tenders apology for the same.

    Punjab Agriculture minister Randeep Singh Nabha came out to pacify them and later Channi met them to placate them.

    Though a few pacified farmer leaders went inside with Nabha and Channi, some farmer leaders refused to attend the meeting.

    Then Nabha came out again and urged farmer leaders to join the meeting.

  • Fashionable to blame farmers for pollution: SC judge

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  It has become a fashion to fault farmers in recent times for Delhi’s annual air pollution during the winter months, Supreme Court judge Justice Surya Kant remarked on Saturday, November 13, 2021, while hearing a case relating to rising pollution levels. 

    Justice Surya Kant, who is himself from a farming family, made the observation during a special hearing by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana with Justice D Y Chandrachud and himself. When solicitor general Tushar Mehta brought up the aspect of stubble burning by farmers of Punjab, Haryana and UP as a reason for air pollution in Delhi, the bench stopped him from making further submission and said: “Everyone is bashing the farmers. In Delhi there was a ban imposed on fire crackers, what happened to that? What has Delhi Police done? Tell us about that.”

    ALSO READ: As SC suggests lockdown to tackle Delhi pollution, Kejriwal calls emergency meeting

    At this, Mehta intervened to say that stubble-burning was just part of the problem. “We are not criticising farmers at all and agree that a result-oriented approach is required,” he said. Mehta told the bench that the central government was not blaming the farmers and explained the scheme wherein farmers are given machines to pull out stubble which are given free of cost to marginalised farmers. He said the statutory authority at the Centre had already directed states to levy fine on farmers who resorted to stubble-burning.

    Mehta submitted that 2 lakh machines were available in the market and farmers who cannot afford could take it from cooperative society for free.  But the bench said the problem is not the availability of machines but the enforcement of policy. It asked Mehta whether the government had incentivised the scheme and seek details like how many cooperative societies have been set up, how many machines supplied, and the capital cost involved in providing the machines. 

    Justice Chandrachud also told Mehta to submit information on when the intervention to prevent stubble-burning began. “This year, monsoon got delayed, hence, the window period for a farmer to sow (for) the kharif season is less compared to what it was last year or probably the year before. You should tell us when did cooperative societies reach out to farmers for aiding them in removal of stubble,” he said. Justice Surya Kant agreed with Justice Chandrchud and said both he and the CJI have been farmers and therefore they are aware of the problems faced by them.

    CJI says he learnt English in class 8Chief Justice of India N V Ramana on Saturday said he is not a sophisticated speaker and learnt English in Class 8. The comment was in response to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’s clarification that he was not suggesting that only farmers are responsible for air pollution in Delhi-NCR. “I don’t have good English for expressing words,” said the CJI. This was in response to Mehta’s remark that “The language in which our response as lawyers is taken might send the wrong message which was not the intention.” Mehta said he too learnt English in Class 8 and studied in Gujarati medium. 

  • Centre has got positive help from Delhi, neighbouring states on stubble burning: Environment Minister

    Some private companies too have come up with good experiments under which stubble or crop residue is turned into manure, said the minister.

  • Stubble burning: Kejriwal charges neighbouring states of not taking action to support farmers

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday charged neighbouring state governments of not taking any action to support the farmers on the issue of stubble burning, saying the air quality in the national capital will start deteriorating from mid-October.

    Delhi faces high levels of air pollution with onset of winters, the season coinciding with paddy straw (Parali) burning in the fields in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

    The Delhi chief minister said the air is currently clean in Delhi with particulate matter levels in ‘good’ and ‘satisfactory’ categories.

    “Del air quality will deteriorate from mid-Oct (stubble burning). State govts hv not taken action to support their farmers. On its own, Del air is clean. On 18 Sep- AQI- 69 (0 to 50 – Good, 51 to 100 – Satisfactory), PM10- 67, PM2.5 – 27 (0 to 30 Good, 31 to 60 Satisfactory),” Kejriwal tweeted.

    The Delhi government has been pressing for adoption of Pusa bio-decomposer, a microbial solution that can reportedly turn stubble into manure, urging the Centre to ask neighbouring states to distribute it for free among farmers.

    Earlier this week, Kejriwal said that a third party survey by a central government agency WAPCOS has found that use of bio-decomposer is effective in getting rid of stubble, thereby preventing its burning by the farmers.

    He had also said he would meet the Union Environment minister to push for use of bio-decomposer in the states neighbouring Delhi.

    The Delhi government last year distributed the bio-decomposer free of cost that was used by farmers on 1,935 acre of farm land in 39 villages to convert stubble into manure, he had said.

    The survey by WAPCOS has come up with very encouraging results on use of the bio-decomposer.

    Ninety percent farmers who used it claimed stubble was reduced to manure in 15- 20 days, he had said.

    The Delhi government recently submitted the audit report of Pusa bio-decomposer to the Centre”s Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), and urged it to implement the measure in states surrounding the capital.

    The Delhi government has also prohibited storage, sale, purchase and use of firecrackers in view of high air pollution levels at the time of Diwali festival.

    Delhi Environment minister Gopal Rai on Friday directed private agencies involved in construction work in the city to follow norms to stop dust pollution within 15 days.

    The Delhi government will take strict action against private agencies found not following the norms as per the winter action plan, he had said.

  • 2022 UP polls: Yogi govt withdraws 900 cases against farmers for stubble burning

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: In a bid to pacify the farmers’ unrest ahead of the upcoming UP Assembly elections, the Yogi Aditynath government in Uttar Pradesh has decided to withdraw around 900 cases registered against farmers for causing air pollution by burning stubble.

    The Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Avanish Awasthi has issued orders in this regard after CM Adityanath announced the decision of the state government in this connection.

    Farmers play an important role in the economy and development of the state. Therefore, the state government has decided to withdraw 868 cases lodged against farmers for stubble burning, a statement issued by Awasthi said.

    Awasthi added that the state government had ordered to withdraw the cases of stubble burning registered in different districts to safeguard the interests of the farmers who had suffered financially during the corona epidemic. The accused farmers were booked under IPC and sections 188, 278, 290, and 291 of 1860 in the state.

    In the past, the CM had assured farmers that the cases registered against them for burning stubble would be withdrawn. Also, if any fine has been imposed, it will also be waived off. Not only this, CM had also assured to consider the matter of increasing the support price of sugarcane.

  • Air pollution: Supreme Court asks Centre to come out with concrete steps to deal with stubble burning

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Monday asked the Centre to file an affidavit detailing ‘concrete steps’ to deal in future with the situation of stubble burning, which is a major cause of air pollution in the Delhi-national capital region (NCR) during the winters.

    The order by a bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, came after it was submitted that the pollution caused due to stubble burning will again come to the fore in the future.

    “Mr Tushar Mehta (Solicitor General), you come back with some concrete steps on stubble burning,” the bench said.

    The top court was hearing a petition which has raised the issue of pollution caused due to stubble burning in neighboring states of Delhi.

    Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the petitioner, told the bench, “The issue will arise again. For this year, the issue of stubble burning is over and it will start again next time. The Centre has said nothing on this.”

    The bench asked the solicitor general to file an affidavit on the issue.

    The apex court had last month said it was “not satisfied” with the work done by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas, which has been constituted by the Centre to tackle air pollution.

    “We don’t know what your commission is doing. People in Delhi are not satisfied with your work. We are also not satisfied,” the bench had said.

    Mehta had earlier told the bench that the commission is working on ‘war footing’ and several steps have been taken to deal with pollution.

    On November 6, the apex court had asked the Centre to ensure there is no smog in Delhi as it was informed that the Commission has started functioning from that day.

    It had said that pollution problem has to be dealt with by the executive as it has the power, money and resources for this.

    The Centre, which has appointed former Chief Secretary of Delhi M M Kutty as the chairperson of the Commission, had apprised the court that there were experts from the field besides members from NGOs in the newly created Commission.

    On October 29, the top court was informed by the Centre that it has come out with an ordinance on curbing pollution and it has been promulgated already.

    The top court is also hearing a separate plea on air pollution and had last year even taken a suo motu note of alarming rise in air pollution in Delhi-NCR where several directions have been passed with regard to stubble burning.