Chandigarh: In Haryana’s Kaithal district, fourteen farmers have been arrested in recent days for engaging in stubble burning, a practice that contributes significantly to the region’s escalating pollution levels, including in the national capital. The arrests come as air quality deteriorates, particularly during the October and November post-harvest season, when stubble burning is most prevalent.
According to Kaithal’s Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarters) Birbhan, the farmers were apprehended for burning crop residue but were subsequently released on bail, as the offence is classified as bailable. Legal cases have been filed under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and other relevant laws concerning the stubble burning incidents.
In addition to Kaithal, FIRs have also been lodged for similar violations in other districts, including Panipat and Yamunanagar. Responding to the growing concern, Haryana Chief Secretary T V S N Prasad has instructed deputy commissioners to take decisive action to prevent further stubble burning.
The Supreme Court recently criticized the governments of Punjab and Haryana for their failure to prosecute those guilty of stubble burning, summoning the chief secretaries of both states to explain their inaction on October 23. Justices Abhay S Oka, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, and Augustine George Maish expressed concern over the “complete insensitivity” of the two states and directed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to consider penal actions against government officials who have not enforced regulations against violators.
Farmers often resort to burning paddy residue to prepare their fields for the upcoming Rabi crop of wheat, as the time frame between harvesting and sowing is notably limited. Recently, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Congress general secretary and Sirsa MP Kumari Selja have called on the government to establish a minimum support price (MSP) for stubble and to purchase it from farmers to mitigate the issue.
