08 November2022, Chandigarh: As of today, Punjab has reported more than 33 thousand cases of stubble burning. The state has crossed 3 thousand cases in the last 24 hours and has reported an average of 2000 cases everyday for the last week. The data is being captured by Punjab Remote Sensing Centre for Pollution Control Board of the state.
On Monday, the maximum stubble burning cases were reported from Ferozpur district (165) followed by Moga (164) and Faridkot (78).
In the year 2020, there were a total of 76,590 cases of stubble burning reported for the Kharif season followed by 71,304 cases in 2021 and 33,090 till now in the current season of 2022. The count for 2022 may go up as more than 2000 new cases have been reported every day for the last one week and the count doesn’t seem to be reducing.
Support from Central Government
Union Agriculture Minister, Mr. Narendra Singh Tomar, addressing a workshop session on Pusa Decomposer at New Delhi mentioned that the State Governments of Punjab, Haryana, U.P. and Delhi were provided more than Rs 3 thousand crore for stubble management. Punjab was allocated the maximum fund of about Rs 14, 500 crores, while Haryana got Rs 900 crores, UP Rs 713 crores and 6 Crore rupees to Delhi. Out of this, about one thousand crore rupees are left with the states including Rs 491 crore with Punjab alone.
The minister said that more important than political discussion on paddy straw is to discuss its management and how to get rid of it. He said, the problem of stubble burning is serious and on this issue levelling allegations and counter allegations are not justified. Be it the Central or State governments or farmers, everyone has the same objective that agriculture should flourish in the country and there is prosperity for farmers.
