Crop residue burning in Punjab 740 fresh cases, govt action continues

CHANDIGARH: The persistent efforts of the Punjab Police to curb stubble burning have yielded positive results, marking a significant decline in farm fire incidents. On Monday, Special Director General of Police (Spl DGP) Law and Order Arpit Shukla reported only 634 cases of stubble burning in the state, the lowest since Diwali.

For the third consecutive day, Punjab witnessed a notable reduction of at least 28.8% in stubble burning cases. Shukla noted that on the preceding Sunday and Saturday, the state recorded 740 and 637 farm fire cases, respectively. In adherence to the directives of the Hon’ble Supreme Court to halt stubble burning, DGP Gaurav Yadav appointed Spl DGP Arpit Shukla as the Police Nodal Officer to oversee actions against this environmental concern.

DGP Punjab has been conducting daily meetings with senior officers, Range Officers, CPs/SSPs, and Station House Officers (SHOs) to assess the stubble burning situation. Show cause notices have been issued to SSPs of districts with high instances of stubble burning. Providing details on actions taken against violators, Spl DGP Arpit Shukla mentioned that police teams have registered 1084 FIRs, imposing penalties totaling Rs 1.87 crores in 7990 cases since November 8, 2023. Red entries have been made in revenue records for 340 farmers during this period.

To monitor stubble burning, 1085 flying squads, consisting of police and civil officials, are actively patrolling. CPs/SSPs are holding district-level meetings with Kisan leaders, while DSPs conduct block-level meetings to raise awareness about Supreme Court orders. Since November 8, at least 2587 such meetings have taken place.

Spl DGP Arpit Shukla personally visited three police districts—Hoshiarpur, SBS Nagar, and Jagraon—to hold review meetings with field officers and assess the ground-level situation of stubble burning. The substantial reduction in farm fire incidents is attributed to the relentless efforts of police personnel and civil administration officials working at the grassroots level to combat stubble burning.

Shukla reiterated his appeal to farmers, urging them to cooperate and refrain from setting crop residue ablaze, emphasizing the environmental and health risks associated with such practices.

Additional patrolling parties have been activated based on the area and size of the police station, with flying squads vigilantly monitoring stubble burning activities.