Mansa, November 5 Getting tough on farmers setting their crop residue on fire, the Mansa police have registered two cases for burning paddy stubble in the district and violating the orders of the Deputy Magistrate. In the first case, the police have booked Amrik Singh, a resident of Makha village, for burning paddy stubble in his fields near his village. Jasjit Singh Gill, Water Supply and Sanitation Coordinator Officer, Mansa, lodged a complaint in which he said that he was going towards Makha village when he noticed that the farmer had burnt paddy stubble in his fields. On finding the violation of the orders of the state government and the District Magistrate, a case was registered at the Mansa Sadar police station. The police conducted raids to arrest the farmer. In the second case, the police booked an unidentified farmer. In a complaint lodged by Mansa Naib Tehsildar Balwinder Singh, he said on November 4, when he was passing by Gagowal village and he saw that a few farmers had burnt paddy stubble in their fields. The case was registered at the Mansa Sadar police station. The police have launched a hunt to trace the erring farmers. All farmers have been booked under Section 188 of the IPC. Mansa SSP Dr Narinder Bhargava said, “Action will be initiated against those who will try to pollute the environment by burning paddy stubble in fields. We will ensure that orders on stubble burning, issued by the District Magistrate, are implemented.” Call it a lack of awareness or the apathetic attitude of the farming community, the unhealthy and dangerous practice of stubble burning continues unabated in almost all parts of the region. The state government and Punjab Pollution Control Board have been asking farmers not to burn stubble as it not only adversely affects the soil fertility but also leads to several health ailments. The Mansa administration has appointed SDMs as nodal officers, who are continuously keeping a vigil to check stubble burning. Mansa Deputy Commissioner Apneet Riyat said, “All SDMs have been directed to issue challans on noticing stubble burning incidents in their respected areas. Besides, they have been asked to note the khasra number of the person concerned. The SDMs have been directed to mark a red entry in the revenue records.” The DC said 26 joints team of the police and the civil administration had been constituted, which were taking action against the erring farmers.

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