Haryana and Punjab Tackle Stubble Burning
Efforts to Reduce Stubble Burning Cases
In Haryana, the number of stubble burning cases has significantly decreased from 7,000 in 2021 to 2,300 in 2023, according to Pradeep Kumar, Secretary of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board. He attributes this reduction to the encouragement of farmers and monitoring by nodal officers.
Challenges Faced by Farmers
Despite these efforts, farmers in Punjab, like Ram Singh, express the need for a permanent solution. They argue that stubble burning is a necessity due to the lack of alternatives and criticize the government for not addressing other pollution sources like factories.
Government Measures
The Haryana government has issued orders to register FIRs against farmers who burn crop residue, as per the Commission for Air Quality Management’s directions. Additionally, farmers involved in stubble burning will face restrictions on selling their crops through the e-Kharid portal.
Doubts Revealed
Stubble Burning -: Stubble burning is when farmers set fire to the leftover straw and stalks in their fields after harvesting crops like rice and wheat. This is done to clear the field quickly for the next crop, but it causes a lot of air pollution.
Haryana State Pollution Control Board -: The Haryana State Pollution Control Board is a government organization in Haryana, India. It works to control and reduce pollution in the state to protect the environment and people’s health.
Nodal Officers -: Nodal officers are special officials appointed by the government to oversee and manage specific tasks or issues. In this case, they monitor and help reduce stubble burning by working with farmers.
FIR -: FIR stands for First Information Report. It is a written document prepared by the police in India when they receive information about a crime. Filing an FIR is the first step in the legal process to investigate and take action against offenders.