Fine, FIR, MSP ban, red entry on land records: How Haryana is trying to curb farm fires

The 5-km thrust to the nearest constabulary chowki successful Kurar seemed similar eons with each sorts of thoughts of what could person gone incorrect crossing his mind.

Once there, helium was made to beryllium with a twelve others – each accused of the aforesaid crime. Burning paddy stubble to wide their fields!

Gian Singh was handed implicit a transcript of the FIR Section 223A (for failing to comply with a lawful bid issued by a nationalist servant) of the BNS and Section 39 of the Air Pollution Act. Along with the FIR came a gag bid of not being capable to merchantability his nutrient connected MSP for the adjacent 2 seasons (Rabi and Kharif).

Seated successful the aforesaid enactment with him astatine the constabulary chowki were 59-year-old Rajendar Kumar of Barot colony successful Kaithal, 72-year-old Raj Kumar of Dahola colony of Jind and 47-year-old Jaivir Singh from Bithmara colony successful Hisar – each paddy farmers booked for burning stubble. They either look an FIR and a good oregon person a reddish introduction connected their onshore records and a prohibition connected merchantability connected MSP for a year.

Gian Singh lasting successful his fields successful colony Ujhana, territory Kaithal.

“Not lone was I arrested but a reddish introduction has besides been marked connected my onshore record. I besides got to cognize that I won’t beryllium capable to merchantability my harvest done the Mera Fasal Mera Beyora portal of the Haryana authorities for 1 year. There were truthful galore different farmers successful my colony who enactment occurrence to the stubble but it seems lone I person been picked up arsenic I americium a tiny husbandman and person lone 2.5 acres,” helium said, adding that present helium volition hold erstwhile constabulary volition nutrient the challan successful court.

Gian Singh, who lives with his woman and aged father, said that it is not viable for them to bargain harvest residue machines. “The machines connected rent are mostly booked by ample landowners. There is precise small clip betwixt paddy harvesting and sowing of wheat. We marginal farmers person nary prime but to pain the stubble.”

Troubled with an FIR and an MSP ban, Rajendar Kumar has a akin communicative to tell. “I retired past twelvemonth from Sarv Haryana Gramin slope from the station of cashier. Earlier my member utilized to instrumentality attraction of our 2 acres but aft retirement, I decided to bash it myself. The FIR mentions that I burnt stubble connected 1 acre connected October 18. But it’s not imaginable arsenic I ploughed my tract connected October 15. They told maine that they got outer images to beryllium my crime. But however is it imaginable that they lone could spot maine bash stubble burning,” helium asked.

Days aft the Supreme Court pulled up the governments of Haryana and Punjab for failing to prosecute farmers who pain stubble, contributing to aerial contamination successful the Delhi National Capital Region, Haryana authorities has enactment successful spot strict measures this twelvemonth to bring down instances of workplace fires.

The Haryana distant sensing section had identified astir 700 workplace occurrence locations till Friday and a good of Rs 8.25 lakh was collected from astir 340 farmers. About 177 FIRs person been lodged successful the full authorities till Thursday and 400 farmers person been placed nether reddish introduction for burning stubble.

An agriculture section authoritative said situation compensation for 0-2 acres is Rs 2500, for 2-5 acres it is Rs 5000 and for 5 acres and supra it’s Rs 10,000.

This year, Haryana cultivated paddy connected 15 lakh hectares, an acre much than past year.

A full of 58 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) paddy arrived successful Haryana mandis past twelvemonth and this twelvemonth 60 LMT is expected, of which 44 LMT has already arrived. The authoritative added that this year, much farmers shifted to paddy aft facing losses owing to pinkish bollworm onslaught connected their fabric crop.

However, astir insisted that tiny standard farmers were astatine the receiving extremity of the measures.

Jaivir, who owns 3 acres and got an FIR for burning stubble connected astir 1.5 acres, said, “There are nary machines successful our full block, truthful what should we do? Instead of providing solutions, they are issuing threats to us. Do they besides punish industrialists? They besides pollute the aerial and h2o but they get distant with it. Even though we each got bail, but we person decided to stitchery successful Uklana and clasp protests.”

Raj Kumar’s lad Rakesh Nehra said they got a challan connected October 17 for Rs 2500. “It was biology compensation for burning stubble connected 1 acre. But we person nary thought however that 1 acre got burnt. We sow 1509 Basmati assortment and we don’t pain the fields. My begetter got bail, but we person decided to attack a lawyer oregon question assistance from Samyukta Kisan Morcha. This seems to beryllium a jungleraaj,” helium said.

In Sirsa, FIRs person been lodged against 3 women from Punjab’s Sardulgarh who person lent their onshore to Naseeb connected contract.

“I took 4.5 acres connected lease from them this year. Do the authorities enactment this strictly with cause smugglers? They are conscionable targeting tiny standard farmers,” Naseem said.

Satyawan, nationalist president of All India Kisan Khet Mazdoor Sangathan and National coordination committee subordinate of SKM, said that they condemn the act.

“The BJP authorities is showing its existent look aft coming backmost to power. They request to find solutions alternatively than reprimanding farmers. What astir contamination by industries? Take a circuit astir Ghaggar river, you volition spot what the industries are doing. Why isn’t determination immoderate enactment against them? This is conscionable a mode to harass farmers,” helium said.

Agriculture section officials said that they person been organising consciousness drives successful villages. “To trim workplace fires, this year, the section is imposing environtmental compensation arsenic good arsenic getting FIRs registered. Initially, we were lenient and imposed lone compensation but present some actions are being taken irrespective of the information whether a idiosyncratic deposits biology compensation oregon not. All farmers were released connected bail and this is conscionable a measure. There are 1,00,800 harvest residue machines successful Haryana of which 9,800 were added this year. When the authorities is taking steps, farmers should besides effort to follow caller practices,” helium said.