The third eye from the sky has caught four farmers breaking the law and burning stubble. Images from the satellite conveyed to the authorities concerned through short message service, led to their challaning in first of its kind initiative by the Punjab Government.
In a first, four farmers in Patiala district have been issued challans for burning stubble after harvesting the crop, which has been banned. The district administration has taken the step on the basis of satellite alerts issued through remote sensing.
The State Government’s action came days after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) pulled it for its “inaction” while terming the stubble burning as an offence.
The Tribunal had also issued directions to the authorities concerned to keep a check on the practice and penalise those found burning stubble fixing from Rs 2,500 to Rs 25,000, the environment compensation amount per incident of crop burning to be paid by land owners depending on the area.
A senior Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) official told The Pioneer that a fine of Rs 2,500 will be charge from burning stubble in two-acre land, Rs 5,000 fine in the land measuring two to five acres, Rs 7,000 fine in land up to 10 acres and Rs 15,000 fine on burning stubble in fields above that measurement. The official added that other than the fine, we have been authorised to take away the subsidies or free facilities given to “erring” farmers from the Government.
Besides, the NGT had also asked the authorities concerned to submit details on agriculture residue, the place where it is being utilised and what steps are being taken to deal with it.
“The Biomass plant project is taking bit long to finish...We believe that would help a lot in tackling this situation,” said the official, adding that we have stepped up all efforts.
The official added that the NGT had also directed the State Government to take coercive and punitive action against persistent offenders and to withdraw help provided to such farmers. “We have challaned four farmers after receiving alerts from remote sensing method…I am waiting for the complete details as of now,” added the official.
The State Government has, only recently, decided to use geospatial data to detect crop fires and alert the concerned Deputy Commissioner and district monitoring committees through SMSs.
The decision was taken following NGT’s December 10, 2015, order asking the State to use remote sensing facilities to monitor and curb crop burning.
For the same, the Punjab Remote Sensing System is used to register the khasra numbers of the fields, and the PPCB has been assigned the task to collect the fine from the erring farmers.
The State Agriculture Department would be responsible to infirm and make the farmers aware about the ban, its side-effects, flaws of burning crop residue, among other things.
“In this task, the state Revenue Department is also involved and is responsible for making the land records available,” added the official.
The official clarified that when a farmer burn the crop residue, the remote sensing system would click a photograph and trace the khasra number of the field. The system would then spontaneously send the information to the administration concerned.