SC asks Punjab govt to learn from Haryana how to stop farm fires

Chandigarh: As the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Punjab to take a cue from Haryana's efforts to check stubble burning, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said his government's serious approach and collaborative efforts with farmers resulted in substantial success in reducing farm fires in the state.

The Centre and the states must "forget politics" and apply their minds to see how crop residue burning can be stopped, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday while observing that people will be affected due to air pollution if the blame game continues.

Among other issue, the court was apprised of the issues faced by farmers in adopting alternative ways of disposing of stubble.

"We put to the advocate general as to why the state cannot fund even this aspect and utilise the byproduct…," the apex court said, adding, "We say so because there are farmers operating on different economic scales where they are able to gain profit even by the byproduct by use of these machines".

It said Punjab may also take a cue from the endeavour made by Haryana in the manner in which financial incentives were given.

In an official statement, Khattar pitched for collective efforts to address this issue, emphasising the need for a non-political approach.

Highlighting the government's commitment to achieving the goal of zero stubble burning, he said the Haryana government has not only launched awareness campaigns discouraging stubble burning but has also provided a financial incentive of Rs 1,000 per acre for farmers adopting non-burning practices and effectively managing crop residue.

Additionally, the agriculture department is actively supplying farmers with various machines and equipment to facilitate efficient stubble management.

Regrettably, he pointed out that certain political parties and neighbouring state governments were engaging in politics on this matter.

Khattar highlighted that schools had to be closed recently due to pollution, underscoring the urgency of collaborative action to prevent such situations from recurring.

He said the “relentless” efforts undertaken by the government to combat stubble burning, resulted in a significant decline in incidents in Haryana compared to previous years.

In contrast, Punjab has experienced an alarming increase in such incidents.

He provided statistics to underscore the positive trend in Haryana, stating that in 2021, there were 5,993 incidents, which decreased to 3,233 in 2022 and further reduced to 1,986 in 2023.

This reflects a 39 per cent reduction in stubble-burning incidents between 2022 and 2023 in Haryana.

Punjab reported a substantial increase in stubble-burning incidents, reaching 31,932 in 2023. This stark difference between Haryana and Punjab is a major contributor to pollution in the Delhi NCR region, said Khattar.

He said the consistent decline in stubble-burning incidents in his state is a testament to the success of his government's initiatives in raising awareness among farmers about crop residue management.

Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is considered one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November.