Three Haryana farmers booked for burning stubble, one says accidental fire while making tea

The farmers named in the FIRs include Jasmer Singh, a resident of village Kaimla; Dinesh Kumar, from Phurlak; and Vikki, a resident of village Beejna, in Karnal. They have been charged under Section 39 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and Section 223(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

Of the three, Dinesh owns 1.5 acres of land, but the stubble burning was detected in a one-acre portion of his field, an official said. The official further said that Vikki’s father, Rajkumar, shares a joint landholding of approximately 14 acres with his brother in Beejna village, and the stubble burning was reported in a one-acre field from where paddy had been harvested.

Sub Inspector Manjeet Singh from Gharaunda police station, one of the investigating officers, said that the accused will be arrested once the necessary revenue records are obtained. Officials also confirmed that, in addition to the FIRs, penalties of Rs 5,000 on each of the accused farmers will also be imposed.

In the third FIR, Mohan, a junior engineer from the Public Works Department, alleged that instead of attempting to extinguish the fire, farmer Jasmer Singh left the scene on his tractor. Jasmer Singh, however, claimed the fire was accidental, ignited while labourers were making tea in the fields. “When the officials arrived, I was trying to put out the fire,” he said. Jasmer Singh further said that although he owns only half an acre of land, he cultivates 7.5 acres taken on contract.

A two-judge bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran, hearing a matter related to filling of vacancies in the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and state pollution boards, on September 17 asked: “Why don’t we consider reintroducing (penal provisions)? If you have a provision for criminal prosecution, if some people are sent behind bars, it will send the right message”.

The CJI said that farmers must be taken along, by providing other options for utilising the stubble like for biofuel. “You take them (along)…you should have some alternative mechanism for using this stubble. At the same time, you use both carrot as well as stick. Give them carrot, but at the same time…,” he said. “Farmers have a special position. Because of their efforts, we are getting what we eat. That doesn’t mean they should not be brought in, in order to protect the environment of the country,” he said.

The action by Haryana authorities, however, has sparked outrage with farmers condemning the FIRs. Jagdeep Singh Aulakh, core committee member of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Sir Chhotu Ram), said, “By registering FIRs against poor and small farmers, the authorities are attempting to cover up their own failures in ensuring the availability of machines needed for crop residue management. In the absence of such equipment, how are poor farmers expected to manage stubble? Most farmers in Haryana own around two acres. How can they afford a tractor worth Rs 10 lakh and a machine costing Rs 2 lakh for crop residue management?”

Aulakh also urged the government to increase the incentive for stubble management to Rs 5,000 per acre, instead of the current Rs 1,200. He further alleged that many farmers have yet to receive the Rs 1,200 per acre promised in 2024.

According to officials, 1,110 farmers were selected out of 1,904 applicants in Karnal district to receive a 50 per cent subsidy on agricultural machinery. As per government guidelines, the target for this year is “zero burning” of crop residues in Karnal. To achieve this, the Karnal Deputy Commissioner has formed enforcement teams at the district, block/tehsil, and village levels. Around 750 officers and staff have been deployed to prevent stubble burning and enforce regulations.

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday had said that the state has achieved a 90 per cent reduction in stubble burning incidents over the past nine years. “To further address the issue, the state government has developed an action plan for 2025, which includes a provision for approximately Rs 200 crore in subsidies for the purchase of crop residue management machines,” he said.