INDORE: The MP Govt has imposed a ban on stubble burning and has declared fines if any farmer is caught in the act.
Under the ban, a fine of Rs 2500 will be imposed on farmers holding land up to 2 acres violating the rule. Similarly, a person will have to pay a fine of Rs 5,000 if he has 2 to 5 acres of land and Rs 15,000 if he has more than 5 acres of land.
All sub-divisional revenue officers (SDOs) have been directed to follow the provision of the National Green Tribunal. Under NGT, the burning of crop residue (stubble) in the fields after harvesting crops, especially paddy and wheat has been banned.
Farmers have been educated on the ill effects of stubble burning at special seminars, workshops, etc at the panchayat level.
Stubble burning in Northern India has long been a major cause of air pollution. Alternatives have been pitched, such activities have been banned and farmers who still continue to do it have been fined and some have even been jailed but- all in vain. Experts carve out ways to reduce- but little does it work as farmers every year are burning huge amounts of waste generated from their rabi crops’ harvest.
As pollution levels grow, so has the chasm between the country’s farmers and policy-makers, who are trying to fix a broken system that has incentivized bulk production over the decades.