Despite an order prohibiting farmers from burning stubble in their fields, stubble burning is on the rise and around 300 farmers have been booked for it in Uttar Pradesh.
After the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered action against farmers burning ‘parali’ (agricultural waste) to check pollution in northern India, the UP government ordered registration of FIRs against 300 farmers of Bilsanda, New Area, Amaria, Puranpur, Sehramau, Madhotanda, Jahanabad and Gajraula areas of Pilibhit by the respective lekhpals.
Sources in UP Police confirmed in Lucknow on Thursday that FIRs had been lodged against farmers for burning agriculture waste.
But after the action, the farmers are up in arms and are agitating against the harsh decision of the government.
Government official Ritu Punia told media persons that action was taken on the directive of the NGT as burning of ‘parali’ was banned by it.
“No farmer would be spared for burning stubble and all lekhpals have been asked to lodge FIRs against the erring farmers,” she said.
On the other hand, farmers criticised the government over its draconian order and claimed that it was an old tradition to burn stubble.
Farmer Jagdeep alleged that cultivators were facing problems in selling their produce and the government was yet to clear to sugarcane arrears and now such harassment of farmers by the government was not acceptable.
Pilibhit, a terai area on UP-Uttarakhand border, is known as the rice bowl of the country for producing large quantity of world famous  ‘Basmati’ rice, which is also exported to other countries.