Punjab witnesses 3,105 cases of stubble burning in single day

NEW DELHI: A day after Diwali, Punjab witnessed 3,105 instances of paddy crop remains burning from all across the state in a single day. The stubble burning and firecracker emissions worsened the air quality in Delhi bringing it down to ‘severe levels’ at an air quality index (AQI) of 419 on October 30.

According to the data from the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, 15,132 active fire events pertaining to stubble burning were recorded in the state between September 23 and October 28. During the same period of time around 24,593 incidents were reported in 2016, 16,533 in 2017 and nearly 12,762 in 2018.

More than 3,700 farm fires were recorded between September 23 and October 27 this year in Haryana. Till now, the total number of farm fires in Punjab this year stands at 26,830 and the same is expected to rise in the coming days. In the years 2017 and 2018, 59,820 and 61,497 instances of crop burning were recorded respectively.

On October 30, the share of pollutants in Delhi from farm fires in Punjab and Haryana touched the peak of the season at 35 Per cent.

The central government’s System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) said the drop in air quality is purely credited to pollution from stubble burning.

Devinder Sharma, agriculture expert said that solving this issue is not possible until farmers are provided with an economic stimulus package. Sharma further added that if farmers are given Rs 3,000 per acre as labour cost, they are ready to dispose of the paddy stubble without resorting to lighting fires.

In the intervening time, several measures are initiated by the Punjab government to sensitise farmers. Nodal officers have been assigned in nearly 8,000 paddy growing villages across the state to spread awareness and keep an eye on post-harvest operations.

50-80 per cent subsidies are provided to farmers and cooperative societies in both Haryana and Punjab to buy modern farm equipment for the management of paddy straw, apart from running an awareness campaign against stubble burning.

The governments have been issuing challans against farmers found burning crop residue based on the size of the land they own, under a 2015 order passed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).