Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Burning of stubble on farmland will attract a fine up to Rs 15,000. Burning of weeds reduces the fertility of the land.
The Agriculture Department has appealed to the farmers not to burn stubbles in the field. Presently the wheat crop harvesting work is in its final stages. After harvesting, some farmers burn the remains of wheat. Burning stubble causes huge damage to the environment and also kills the beneficial microorganisms in the soil. Fertility decreases as the land becomes warmer.
Therefore, an appeal has been made to the farmers not to burn stubble after harvesting wheat. Burning Narwai is a punishable offence. As per the guidelines of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), with the aim of curbing the pollution caused by burning of crop residues, preventing fire accidents and protecting life and property, collector and district magistrate Asheesh Singh has already issued an order to ban burning of wood etc with immediate effect.
If the order is violated, action will be taken under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code. Also, if someone burns the remains, he will also have to pay environmental compensation. It has been clarified in the order that the landholder of less than two acres will have to pay a fine of Rs 2,500 per burning incident, the landholder of more than two acres and less than five acres will have to pay a fine of Rs 5,000 per incident and landholder of more than five acres will have to pay a fine of Rs 15,000 per incident. Compensation will have also to be paid separately.
Harvester machine operators will have to compulsorily install a straw stripper (chaff making machine) along with the harvester for harvesting. If any farmer insists on harvesting the crop without a straw ripper, then he will have to inform the concerned police station, gram panchayat secretary or gram panchayat monitoring officer.
Deputy director Farmer Welfare and Agricultural Development said that burning of weeds increases acidity in the land, which causes severe damage to the soil.
The activity of microorganisms starts decreasing and the water-holding capacity of the soil is also adversely affected. If you make chaff by using a combine harvester as well as a chaff making machine, then chaff will be available for the animals and better management of crop residues will be possible. Besides that, the fertility of the land will remain intact and the environment will also be safe.
