The winds of hazard are blowing across Punjab with the farmers continuing to burn stubble in their fields. So far, more than 20,000 cases of stubble burning have been reported in the State this post-paddy-harvest season, with the State Government claiming of initiating action against nearly 3,000 farmers.
Even as the State Government maintained that it was expecting 10-20 per cent decline in total number of stubble burning cases this year from around 49,000 reported during the previous year, the air quality index (AQI) on Sunday reached hazardous and ‘very unhealthy’ levels in several cities of the State.
The AQI of Bathinda was recorded at 453, Mandi Gobindgarh at 544, and Jalandhar at 431—hazardous, while the figure was recorded at 270 in Khanna, 222 in Roopnagar, 207 at Ludhiana — the very unhealthy level. Patiala’s AQI was reported at “unhealthy” level of 199.
Alarmed over the “high” pollution, Patiala Administration has, meanwhile, banned construction and development activities in the district.
The officials in the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) are closely monitoring the situation which they describe as the “worst ever post-paddy harvest season”, and maintaining that any improvement in the condition can be expected only after rains. The Meteorological Department has predicted rains from November 5.
The PPCB official told The Pioneer that the Board was compiling all the data, and the report would be provided to the State Government, on the basis of which further decisions would be taken like precautionary measures, closing education institutes, etc.
The official maintained that the Board is reviewing reports that people are feeling discomfort in breathing, even inside their houses, experiencing irritation in eyes, sore throat. “The situation is worse in villages, as stubble burning is being done in fields.
The situation has sent alarm bells ringing in northern states of Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana with the national capital being the worst hit. Chief Ministers of the three neighbouring states have indulged in the blame-game with the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal pointing fingers at the burning fields in Punjab and Haryana for Delhi’s dangerous air quality levels.
Notably, the air quality index in Delhi was recorded at 999 at several places, against the acceptable AQI level of below 200. Delhi-NCR region is currently under a declared “health emergency”, which prohibits all construction works, bursting of firecrackers, among other things. In fact, the government has ordered the closing of schools in Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad till November 5.
Undeterred by the prevailing conditions, the farmers in Punjab were seen burning their paddy residue. According to the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC), incidents of stubble burning have increased this year — contrary to the State Government’s claims.
The state Agriculture director and Environment and Climate Change, Director Kahan Singh Pannu has also issued strict directions to the officers or officials, who have been assigned the task to check stubble burning, to act strictly against violators and ensure legal action against them.
Pannu has asked the authorities concerned and the employees to carry out their duties responsibly. “The officers or officials should also ensure legal action against anyone who indulge is stubble burning,” he said adding that the government is providing modern machinery for proper management of paddy straw which the farmers should use and contribute in saving the environment by not burning the straw.