Percentage of reduction in fire incidents is highest in Bathinda-DC
KI Singh/ royalpatiala.in/ Bathinda
The anti-stubble-burning-campaign launched by Bathinda district administration has shown positive results with 90 percent reduction in fire incidents as compared to previous years. Terming these results as fruit of hard labour by different teams which sensitized farmers, Deputy Commissioner B. Srinivasan said that no stone is left unturned to make the farmers aware of the drawbacks and dangerous consequences of burning paddy stubble.
Quoting the figures released by Punjab Pollution Control Board, based on satellite data, the Deputy Commissioner stated that Bathinda district witnessed 640 incidents of fire between October-1 to October-23 in 2017 and the same has drastically came down to 61 incidents, during same time, this year (2019). As per these figures no other district of Punjab has attained this much (90 percent) of reduction in the incidents of fire. As per the official figures 221 incidents of fire were reported in the district last year (2018).
“Our officers are regularly visiting all the villages in district and meetings are also held with farmers to sensitize them about the ill-effects of smoke & fire on their soil and human health,” the DC said. He added that so far a total of 65 sites–including suspected cases–are visited by teams of different officials in the district.
Srinivasan said that the District Level Monitoring Committee and Sub-Division Level Monitoring Committees have done detailed analysis of incidents of stubble burning and personally monitored the arrangements done to stop such incidents in all the villages of district. He added that nodal officers are deployed in each village of the district who are regularly monitoring the sensitization campaign and takes prompt action by reporting the incidence of fire to the higher officials.
The Deputy Commissioner reiterated that apart from sensitizing the farmers, strict action will also be taken against government servant found burning paddy stubble in his agricultural land. He pointed out that arrangements are also made to ensure compliance of orders in this regard by special categories like government employees, commission agents, panchayat members, numberdaars and others.
