Gurdaspur's Stubble Battle: How Officials Prevented Farm Fires in Sohal

Gurdaspur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Aditya and Deputy Commissioner Dalwinderjit Singh visited Sohal village on Monday to review preventive measures against stubble burning and engage directly with local farmers following the harvest season.

"We met the farmers of Sohal village and around 80% of the crops have been harvested here and there is no incidence of farm fire. We have taken their suggestions to implement measures for preventing farm fires," Deputy Commissioner Dalwinderjit Singh told ANI.

"They have demanded more time between crop harvesting and sowing in order to avoid stubble burning, and we will put this up to the government," Singh added.

Highlighting the progress made since last year, SSP Aditya said that Sohal village had witnessed several incidents of stubble burning in the past, but this year, no such cases have been reported.

"A lot of incidents of stubble burning were reported in Sohal village last year, but after efforts from the police and civil administration, no incident was reported this year. The administration has been proactive, with Gurdaspur police conducting nearly 270 meetings with farmer organizations and the Punjab Protection Force ensuring enforcement. Efforts are ongoing to contain fires and enhance pre-management strategies," SSP Aditya said.

Meanwhile, there has been only one incident of stubble burning have been reported in Bathinda, Punjab, an official said on Monday and underlined the efforts of the administration and coordination with stakeholders in order to solve the issue in next two years.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Bathinda, Poonam Singh Bathinda, told ANI that the officials are meeting with farmers to make them aware about the stubble management.

"So far, only one incident of stubble burning has occurred in Bathinda. Our entire team is very active in Bathinda... Our agricultural officials are traveling everywhere to educate farmers about the benefits of stubble management (as opposed to burning stubble)... The way the district administration is working, and if we continue to coordinate with the industries in the same way, the stubble issue will be solved in 1-2 years, "ADC Singh said.

Stubble burning has been a serious environmental concern in Punjab and other northern states, as it contributes heavily to air pollution and poses severe health risks, particularly during the winter months when smoke mixes with fog to create smog. The government has imposed a strict ban to encourage farmers to adopt sustainable crop residue management practices, such as using bio-decomposers or mechanised tools for residue management.

- ANI