Gurgaon: Forty-six instances of stubble burning have been recorded in Haryana since mid-Sept, marking the onset of harvesting season that typically sees farmers across states setting afire paddy residues to prepare their fields for the next cycle of sowing.
Officials told TOI on Monday that 46 farm fires were spotted in satellite imagery analysed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) from Sept 15 to 23.
It is almost four times the count (12 farm fires) recorded in the same time frame last year. In 2022, one instance of stubble burning was reported, and in 2021, no farm fire was seen.
Of the instances this year, more than half of the farm fires – 24 – were in Karnal, followed by Kurukshetra (8), Faridabad (4), Yamuna Nagar (4), Rohtak (2), and one each in Kaithal, Ambala, Jind and Sisra. Experts said the number of farm fires were still low and will only go up over the next few weeks. “The harvesting season is just starting and already we are witnessing a rise in farm fires, so, there is a likelihood that stubble burning may go up this year,” said Shubhansh Tiwari, a research associate at Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
Every year, farm fires across Haryana, Punjab and UP release pollutants, which – combined with winter weather conditions and other emissions – create smog that envelops Delhi-NCR and surrounding areas.
The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), supervised by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), to curb this winter pollution in NCR is yet to be implemented. GRAP restrictions, which include bans on use of diesel generators and stopping operations at highly polluting industries in some phases, will only come into effect from Oct 1. According to Haryana’s agriculture department, 38.8 lakh acres of land was utilised for paddy cultivation this year and it is expected to generate 81 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of stubble after harvest.
After Punjab, the highest number of farm fires in the country’s northern agricultural belt are typically recorded in Haryana. Agriculture department officials told TOI last month that they plan to use 22.65 LMT of stubble for fodder. Another 33.04 LMT of stubble will be managed through in-situ techniques, and the remaining 25.39 LMT will be allocated for ex-situ management, they had said.
On Monday, an official said govt is providing machines to farmers at subsidised rates in 469 villages across 12 hotspot districts to manage paddy straw. Another official in Kurukshetra said the number of stubble burning cases had gone down over the years.
“We have been working to solve the issue since 2014. We are also providing full support to farmers. For instance, in Kurukshetra, all farmers who applied for compact bale machines had their applications approved,” said Darshan Singh, technical assistant, agriculture department. Data over the past few years reflects progress in reducing incidents of farm fires, but still not enough to improve air quality.
In the 2023 kharif season, Haryana recorded 2,303 active fire locations (AFL), which was 37% lower than the figures in 2022 (3,661 AFL). Farm fires were almost double in 2021 (6,997). Tiwari said creating awareness among farmers was the long-term solution to curb stubble burning. “Govt needs to ensure that all farmers have access to machinery at the time of harvesting,” he added.
Credit Source – https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/hry-farm-fire-count-at-46-in-a-week-set-to-rise-from-oct/articleshow/113634634.cms