Monday November 2, 2009, 1:04 am
Burning stubble in India creates problems for environment, animals, flora and fauna, human beings as well, we all are responsible for spoiling nature and disturbing Eco-balance due to our own illegal acts. There are few points to be viewed and necessary directions may kindly be issued for strict compliance :
National Security Act shall be imposed on the offenders, Combine machine be seized and inter District movement of this machine be banned, speed limit be allowed below below 10 kms per hour at the time of registration as well. At present local administration issued instructions as per provisions 144 CrPc but not serious to arrest the accused as per section 188 IPC.

Monday November 2, 2009, 1:10 am
Despite a ban by District Magistrate Bhagwant Singh on the burning of wheat crop stubble, the practice still continues unabated in the rural belt of the district, including Attari, Ajnala and Majitha, by the farmers unaware of its harms to environment and health of the general public.

A visit to the border villages reveals that the farmers are not following the ban orders as the method is cheap and quick to dispose of the stubble.

Sometimes, the fire lit by farmers reaches outside the fields, causing damage to trees and destroying the flora and fauna.

The farmers were least concerned about the degradation of environment. Due to massive air pollution, birds and animals also perish in such fires. The fertility of land also decreases due to heat generated by the fire that penetrates into the soil up to 1 cm and thus elevating temperatures, says an official of the agriculture department, preferring anonymity.

Last year, a major mishap was averted when the stubble fire entered the Amritsar International Airport complex due to which various flights were diverted or delayed.

The seriousness of the district administration regarding the implementation of the ban orders was quite clear from the fact that as more than a week had passed, not a single case has been registered so far in this regard, while farmers continue to burn the crop waste.

When contacted, Bhagwant Singh said as he and the staff of the district were busy with the election process, they could not check the menace.

The official of the Agriculture Department said instead of issuing the ban orders, a law should be enacted to curb the practice effectively just on the lines of the Ground Water Preservation Act for paddy plantation in order to raise the level of groundwater. He said as purchasing or hiring the Rotovater to dispose of the stubble by converting it into small pieces and mixing with earth which required funds, besides labour, the farmers were preferring to burn the stubble by making use of a single matchstick.

Harbhajan Singh, a farmer of Attari, pointed out that the stubble cut into pieces comes up on the surface while ploughing the fields and paddy plantation.
Delhi Public School, situated on the GT Road at Mannawala here, has complained to the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO)that a number of trees planted on the school premises were badly damaged due to burning of stubble in the fields adjoining the school.

Sangeeta Singh, Principal of the school, in the complaint alleged that the burning of stubble in the adjoining fields on the western side of the school scorched the plants and tress badly. She said when they asked the owner of the land that why had he set stubble in the fields on fire, he denied having done so and said that some unknown persons had committed the act.

The burning of crop stubble has been banned under Section 144 of the CrPC by the district administration.

However, not a single case has been registered even as the practice continues unabated. The Principal urged the Divisional Forest Officer to take action against the defaulters after a thorough inquiry into the matter and suitable compensation be awarded to the school for the loss of trees/plants as a result of illegal burning of wheat stubble in the fields.

Monday November 2, 2009, 2:29 am
Burning of Agricultural Wastes
Harvest burning creates widespread problems
particularly related with air pollution. The straw
and stubble in the farm is mostly disposed by
burning so as to prepare for next crops. However,
for the public it is an unmitigated nuisance. The
problems related with harvest burn are as
follows-
• Smoke and general nuisance.
• Damage to property.
• Threat to wild life.
• Effects on human hygiene :
i) Smoke causes suffocation and thus breathing
problems and irritation to eyes.
ii) Suspended particulate matter like fly ash
causes public nuisance and injury to eyes.
Despite these problems, straw and stubble
burning are wide spread in India and is one of
the burning hurdles. Therefore, it calls for
immediate attention of the Government and
pollution control boards to take appropriate
action to control and minimize the problem.
Strategies for Control
• Harvest survey should be carried out.
• Making by-laws for straw burning is
indispensable.
• The method of ploughing is straw should be
adopted.
• Development and exploitation of alternative
uses like straw as animal feed straw in
papermaking, chemicals from straw etc. to
be encouraged.

Tuesday November 3, 2009, 3:52 am
Signed. Thanks Naresh.

# 53 :3:51 am PST, Nov 3, Joycey Berry, North Carolina