714 stubble burning incidents in Haryana

Chandigarh: Haryana has reported 714 cases of stubble burning during the current harvesting season so far, but the government claimed the number of such incidents is down this year in comparison with previous years.

Until Sunday, 714 cases of stubble burning were reported, officials said. The state government is actively pursuing concrete measures for stubble management, which are yielding positive results, according to an official statement here on Monday. “Notably, there has been a significant reduction in stubble burning incidents in the state this year compared to the previous year.

As of now, only 714 cases of stubble burning have been reported, whereas during the corresponding period in 2022, there were 893 cases. In 2021, the number was significantly higher at 1,508,” it said. Paddy harvesting is underway in Haryana for the past over a month.

The statement said the Haryana government has taken the issue of stubble burning seriously and in collaboration with farmers, has made substantial progress in reducing such incidents. “The government is actively conducting awareness campaigns to discourage stubble burning and is also incentivising farmers with an amount of Rs 1,000 per acre for practising proper stubble management and refraining from burning crop residue.

“In addition, the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department is providing various machines and equipment to farmers to facilitate effective stubble management,” it said. “The consistent decline in stubble burning incidents in the state underscores the success of the Haryana government’s efforts in promoting responsible crop residue management among farmers,” the statement read.

The government is diligently working towards achieving the target of zero stubble burning and has implemented stringent measures to deter farmers from engaging in this practice. This includes the use of drones for monitoring and preventing stubble burning, as well as the registration of FIRs against those who burn stubble, it said. Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is attributed as one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR in October and November.