Haryana: In the current harvesting season, 32 FIRs have been filed against farmers in Yamunanagar district for allegedly burning paddy residue in their fields. Dr. Satish Kumar Arora, the Assistant Plant Protection Officer (APPO) in Yamunanagar, noted that fines have been imposed on these farmers, with Rs 35,000 paid by those involved in 14 of the 32 cases.
Initially, a fine of Rs 2,500 was set for each incident of stubble burning; however, the Government of India has recently announced increased environmental compensation charges, now doubling the previous fines. Additionally, the department has recorded red entries for 61 khasra numbers linked to the 32 farmers on the Meri Fasal Mera Byora (MFMB) portal, preventing them from selling their crops in state grain markets due to the stubble burning allegations.
Dr. Aditya Pratap Dabas, Deputy Director of Agriculture in Yamunanagar, emphasized their commitment to preventing farmers from burning paddy residue. A committee led by Deputy Commissioner Captain Manoj Kumar has been inspecting reported fire locations, taking immediate action when stubble burning is detected.
Dr. Dabas stated, “Stubble burning is a crime as it harms the environment and the fertility of agricultural land. Therefore, farmers should refrain from burning residue.” APPO Dr. Satish Kumar Arora mentioned that last year, they identified 110 active fire locations through HARSAC and other sources during the paddy season. While checking these sites, they found 58 instances of active fires, but no stubble burning was observed at 52 of those locations. Consequently, fines totaling Rs 1.45 lakh (Rs 2,500 for each farmer) were imposed in 58 cases last year.