CHANDIGARH: Reiterating that “zero stubble burning during the current paddy harvesting season is non-negotiable,” the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) will allegedly depute flying squad teams in hotspot districts of both Punjab and Haryana to monitor progress at the ground level. It has directed both states to enforce statutory measures with “both incentives and deterrence.”
Both states were told to mobilise crop residue management equipment in line with harvesting patterns, intensify evening patrolling to check farm fires, and sensitise local bodies on preventing open burning of municipal solid waste and biomass.
In Punjab, from September 15 to 26, the satellite observing farm fires captured 80 incidents of active fire across the state. Meanwhile, 98 incidents of stubble burning were reported during the corresponding period last year.
Forty-one FIRs under Section 223 of the BNS have allegedly been registered against farmers for disobeying the order and indulging in stubble burning. At 43 sites, crop burning was verified physically, and an environmental compensation of ₹1.95 lakh has been imposed in 41 cases, of which ₹1.65 lakh has been recovered.
In Punjab, 663 hotspot villages have been identified where more than 75 per cent of the area of the village burnt in the last three years, as per the stubble burning data. The officials have been asked by the state government to make special arrangements to contain crop residue burning in these villages.
Sangrur, which is the home district of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and Ferozepur are much in focus apart from six other districts, as these two districts reported a maximum of 1,725 and 1,342 crop residue burning events out of a total of 10,909 burning incidents.
A dedicated CAQM cell has also been set up at Kheti Bhawan in Mohali to coordinate between Punjab and Haryana and oversee paddy residue management activities.
While Punjab was asked to bridge gaps in the availability of crop residue management machinery, ensure inter-district movement of balers, strengthen vigilance through the “Parali Protection Force” and accelerate biomass co-firing in thermal power plants, it was also suggested that the state develop a state-level strategy requiring coordination with adjoining districts for inter-district movement of balers.
The issues of pest-infected areas (dwarfism pest and yellow rust in paddy) and addressing silted and waterlogged areas were highlighted during the meeting. The state was directed to develop a plan to address these issues to avoid burning activities.
On the other hand, Haryana was directed to plug machinery gaps, improve storage facilities for paddy straw bales, provide insurance options for farmers, and take strict action against those allegedly resorting to stubble burning.
A state-level strategy for the coordination of stubble management across neighbouring districts was to be developed to ensure a robust supply chain and ex-situ utilisation of paddy residue in various applications. The commission directed the state to review the gaps in the CRM machinery and send proposals for additional machines as required.
The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) was to have separate meetings with district-level administration for robust supply chain management and micro-level planning.
The directions came after detailed review meetings held on Thursday and Friday with senior officers, deputy commissioners, district magistrates and police officials from 23 districts of Punjab and 22 districts of Haryana.
The commission said it will conduct frequent and intensive reviews to monitor progress and ensure strict implementation of the approved action plans to reduce stubble burning.
The review focused on the preparedness of both states for this paddy harvesting season in compliance with the commission's directions issued on May 5 and June 3. These directions mandate effective in-situ and ex-situ crop residue management, eliminating paddy stubble burning in hotspot districts.
The long-term aim is to create an ecosystem for a self-propelled stubble management system that adequately benefits farmers.
Earlier, the CAQM, under directions pertaining to the mandatory use of paddy straw-based biomass pellets in brick kilns for the prevention and control of paddy stubble burning on June 3, asked Punjab and Haryana to mandate the use of paddy straw-based biomass pellets or briquettes in all brick kilns located in districts beyond the National Capital Region (NCR).
To manage 19.32 million tonnes (MT) of stubble expected to be generated in the state, on March 27 this year the Punjab Government submitted a multi-pronged plan to the CAQM. The plan stressed prevention by making farmers aware and adopting penal measures over violations.
As per the plan, 11.40 MT will be managed under in-situ management, through over 1.48 lakh crop residue management (CRM) machinery that was procured by farmers, primary agricultural cooperative societies, village panchayats, and custom hiring centres with a subsidy of ₹1,935 crore.
While 7.06 MT will be managed under ex-situ and 0.86 MT will be used as fodder. Out of 7.06 million tonnes of stubble, 4.1 MT is to be managed through industrial boilers (about 3.3 MT in the form of bales and 0.8 MT in the form of pellets), 1.17 MT through biomass power plants, 0.50 MT through compressed bio-gas plants, 0.87 MT through thermal power plants and 0.22 MT through brick kilns (management in thermal power plants and brick kilns shall be used in the form of pellets or briquettes).