Stubble burning: Govt yet to notify penalty

Vishal Joshi

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, September 25

Even though the harvesting season has begun, the state government is yet to implement (National Green Tribunal) NGT’s directions on punitive action against farmers who burn crop stubble.

Sources said no order had been issued on who would realise the penalty and where the amount would be deposited. During the harvesting season in April-May, several farmers were booked for burning of residues. Speaking to The Tribune, Dr Karamchand, Deputy Director, Agriculture, said, “The fine has not been collected from any violator as the department has not received a notification in this regard. The state government is yet to notify the NGT order stopping subsidy to those farmers who burn crop residue.”

Each year unsafe disposal of crop residues during the harvesting season in April-May and October-November leads to environmental pollution.

Taking stringent view, the NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar passed an order in November 2015 which imposed a fine (environment damage compensation) of Rs 2,500 to Rs 15,000 on farmers who burnt stubble. The NGT had also recommended stopping government subsidy.

However, Dr Karamchand, said the subsidy was being offered on agriculture implements under resource conservation technology to combat burning of crop residues.

Last year, the NGT took a serious view of situation and directed the states of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to stop the age-old practice. An environment Bench also directed state governments to check the bi-annual menace, which the farmers engage in to save the time between sowing of wheat and rice.