79 farmers found burning stubble in Y’nagar district

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, October 19

The district-level committee (DLC) for the prevention of stubble burning has found 79 farmers burning paddy stubble in Yamunanagar district this year so far.

The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), Yamunanagar, a member of the DLC, has written to the tehsildars of the district to supply the land detail of the said farmers, so that necessary action can be initiated against them.

“Small land holders having an area less than 2 acres will pay environmental compensation of Rs 2,500 per incidence. Similarly, the farmers having land more than 2 acres but less than 5 acres will pay Rs 5,000 per incidence. Land holders having land area more than 5 acres will pay Rs 15,000 per incidence,” said Deputy Commissioner SS Phulia.

The state government has formed a DLC in every district under the chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner on the directions of the National Green Tribunal.

“No case of paddy straw was reported in the district last year. In 2014, an FIR was registered against a farmer on charge of burning paddy straw,” said Aditya Pratap Dabas, Deputy Director, Agriculture, Yamunanagar. Sources said combine harvesters were, for the first time, used to harvest maximum crop in the district this year.

“Labourers are not easily available for crop cutting. They charge Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 per acre for harvesting and take two to three days to harvest an acre. However, those giving combines on rent charge Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 per acre,” said Subhash Chand, a farmer of Marwa village.