Stubble burning: 22 farmers arrested for burning paddy straw in Punjab

In a bid to curb stubble burning to control the menace of pollution, the Ludhiana District Administration has arrested 22 farmers and registered 45 FIRs. A thick blanket of smog hovers over the northern plains of the country mainly due to burning of paddy straw in the fields of Punjab. Burning crop residue is a crime under Section 188 of the IPC and under the Air and Pollution Control Act of 1981.

Speaking about the issue to a news agency, Deputy Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Agrawal said:

"Besides FIR's, the PPCB filed 34 challans directly in the court, 13 combines were challenged Rs 2 lakh each as Super SMS was not fitted on them, 243 cases with around Rs 8 lakh compensation were filed by PPCB, red entries in khasra girdawri's were also made, and 77 cluster teams were formed to check cases of stubble burning in the district".

He furthered appealed the sarpanches to ensure that no incidents related to the burning of paddy straw should take place in their villages. The Supreme Court has ordered that accountability of the village sarpanch could also be fixed if he or she fails to prevent such fire incidents. Commissioner of Police Rakesh Kumar Agrawal, Senior police and district administration officials, SDM (East) Amarjit Singh Bains, Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Baldev Singh, Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) officials and others also carried inspections at different villages namely Khasi Kalan, Hawas, Sahibana, Rajool, besides several others of district Ludhiana on Tuesday.

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Penalty for stubble burning

The district administration had earlier penalised 133 farmers for resorting to stubble burning with the minimum fine of Rs 2,500, informed Kaithal Agriculture Deputy Director Pawan Sharma. "Each defaulter has paid at least Rs. 2,500 as fine. The highest fine imposed was Rs 15,000. These fines levied after taking stock of the area of their land. FIR will also be filed against those who fail to pay the fines," said Sharma.

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