Patiala: The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) imposed environmental compensation in over 10,000 cases of crop residue burning in the fields but failed to get any case registered against the violators. Like last year, around 8,700 nodal officers are again on the job to check stubble burning in the fields.
The PPCB collects information or data of stubble burning incidents from September 15 to November 30, when farmers across the state burn their paddy crop residue after harvest.
Last year, 71,304 farm fire incidents were reported and teams meant to check stubble burning had visited 55,287 sites within 48 hours, but found no crop burning at 40,527 sites. EC was imposed on violators in 10,244 cases but is pending in 4,516 cases. Of the Rs 28,577,500 EC imposed on offenders, only Rs 1,90,000 was recovered. In 8,562 cases, red entry was made in khasra girdawari of the violators who burnt crop residue in their fields.
To curb the menace of stubble burning, the NGT had issued directions in 2015 to impose fine or EC on offenders. The EC was fixed at Rs 2,500 per incidence for violations by small land holders with an area of less than two acres, Rs 5,000 per incidence for farmers with land area of more than two acres but less than five acres and Rs 15,000 per incidence for those with landholdings of more than five acres.
Last year, no case of prosecution was filed under The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, nor any case was registered against under Section 188 of the IPC. The PPCB did not even impose any EC on combine harvesters or impound them. In 2018, the PPCB had made it mandatory for all combine harvesters to have a super SMS system and any violation was punishable under Section 37 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
“In 2020, 500 FIRs were registered against the farmers who violated the Act by burning paddy crop residue,” said a PPCB officer.
The PPCB collects information or data of stubble burning incidents from September 15 to November 30, when farmers across the state burn their paddy crop residue after harvest.
Last year, 71,304 farm fire incidents were reported and teams meant to check stubble burning had visited 55,287 sites within 48 hours, but found no crop burning at 40,527 sites. EC was imposed on violators in 10,244 cases but is pending in 4,516 cases. Of the Rs 28,577,500 EC imposed on offenders, only Rs 1,90,000 was recovered. In 8,562 cases, red entry was made in khasra girdawari of the violators who burnt crop residue in their fields.
To curb the menace of stubble burning, the NGT had issued directions in 2015 to impose fine or EC on offenders. The EC was fixed at Rs 2,500 per incidence for violations by small land holders with an area of less than two acres, Rs 5,000 per incidence for farmers with land area of more than two acres but less than five acres and Rs 15,000 per incidence for those with landholdings of more than five acres.
Last year, no case of prosecution was filed under The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, nor any case was registered against under Section 188 of the IPC. The PPCB did not even impose any EC on combine harvesters or impound them. In 2018, the PPCB had made it mandatory for all combine harvesters to have a super SMS system and any violation was punishable under Section 37 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
“In 2020, 500 FIRs were registered against the farmers who violated the Act by burning paddy crop residue,” said a PPCB officer.