Farmers Movement Archive

Punjab: Majha region has already reported 200 farm fires

Even as paddy harvesting is yet to pick up the pace due to the delayed monsoon withdrawal, as many as 201 cases of stubble burning have been reported already in three of the four districts in Punjab’s Majha region. With 162 cases, Amritsar tops the list, while Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur have reported 35 and two cases, respectively. In Pathankot, harvesting is yet to begin. Stubble burning is a quick and cheap way to prepare soil bed for the next crop. However, widespread farm fires reduce the air quality to dangerous levels in the region every year. The agriculture department officials have been visiting villages and making announcements from gurdwaras to encourage farmers not to burn paddy stubble. Though the exact figures for the corresponding period in previous years are not readily available, Kuljit Singh Saini, who is the chief agriculture officer for Amritsar and Tarn Taran, says that, in his experience, the number of stubble burning incidents reported in the two districts has gone down. “Our teams are in the field, organising awareness camps against stubble burning. Those farmers who are not burning stubble will be honoured. Special prizes will also be given to panchayats that encourage farmers to shun this polluting practice,” says Saini. However, scientists and environmentalists have warned that this year, farm fires in north India are likely to be more intense than in previous years, considering the delayed monsoon withdrawal from the region. On Wednesday, the air quality index was recorded at 70 in Amritsar. Though in the “satisfactory” range so far, it could quickly turn “poor” if stubble burning incidents continue in the coming days, warn experts. However, farmers say they are forced to burn the paddy stubble despite knowing its environmental consequences. “We know that stubble burning not only pollutes the environment, but also damages the fertility of our fields. We have been demanding that adequate machinery be provided to us through village-level societies for stubble management besides a bonus of ₹200 per quintal. But, the government is doing nothing,” says Kisan Sangharsh Committee (KSC)’s state convener Kawalpreet Singh Pannu.

Hindustan Times

06-10-2021

Chandigarh