Haryana sees 4-time rise in farm fires

According to data from Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modelling from Space Indian Agricultural Research Institute (CREAMS), Haryana witnessed 298 and 480 cases of stubble burning from September 15 to October 12 in 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Haryana, in the entire season, last year saw 3661 cases of farm fires. In 2021, the number of stubble burning cases was almost double at 6987 and in 2020, the number was 4202.

When asked, the Haryana government attributed the sudden spike in farm fires to the early harvesting period of paddy by nearly 15 days this year compared to 2022. Officials added that so far, 30 lakh MT paddy has already arrived in the mandis of Haryana and the total arrival is expected to be double by the end of the harvesting season.

In neighbouring Punjab, which has double the area under paddy, farm fires have also starting increasing. While Haryana has over 15 lakh hectares under paddy cultivation, Punjab grows rice on 32 lakh hectares. The number of stubble burning cases in Punjab between September 15 and October 12 was 1,076, against just 867 incidents in the same period in 2022.

Senior BKU leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni said that farmers will not burn their paddy stubble if they get adequate compensation for processing crop residue. “It costs Rs 5,000 per acre if crop residue is disposed off by making bales and the government gives only Rs 1,000 as compensation. If the relief amount is at least be Rs 3,000 per acre then the farmers won’t burn stubble. Also, in some areas, farmers are yet to get machines. What will they do if no machine has been provided,” Chaduni said.

Meanwhile, Haryana chief secretary Sanjeev Kaushal had on Tuesday called for stringent action against officers and individuals found involved in active fire locations.

According to state agriculture minister JP Dalal, last year de-composer was sprayed in 2.5 lakh acres for crop residue management and this year the state government has set a target of spraying decomposer in 5 lakh acres. Dalal had said, “Under the Crop Residue Management Scheme, 80,000 machines have been distributed to farmers for in-situ management from the year 2018-19 to the year 2022-23.”