Two farmers fined Rs 2,500 for burning crop residue in Noida

NOIDA: Two farmers were fined Rs 2,500 each after they were found burning crop residue through satellite images on Monday. Both farms where stubble was burned span over one acre each. This marks the first incident of stubble burning in the district this month.

"Stubble burning was done on both the farms which were adjacent to each other. The farmers were not able to burn the stubble fully as we reached the spot on time and stopped it immediately. We are continuously monitoring these things through the satellite and taking action accordingly," said Vinod, an official from the agriculture department.

At a review meeting on Saturday, district magistrate Manish Verma directed officials to conduct initiatives aimed at preventing stubble burning and action has since been initiated in the district to keep pollution levels in check, officials said. As per records, Noida recorded 18 instances of stubble burning during the 2020-21 season, and this number saw a slight increase the following year with 19 recorded cases in 2021-2022. However, 2022-23 saw a noticeable decrease with 11 reported cases of stubble burning.

Stubble burning is a violation of the NGT Act, and it can result in widespread smog and pollution. Cases of stubble burning have a significant negative impact on pollution levels across Delhi-Ncr, especially during the winter months. Smoke produced by stubble burning contains toxic substances, including PM2.5, carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrogen oxide (NOx). A more efficient way to manage agricultural stubble is to incorporate it into the soil to improve its fertility.

Data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) shows that farm fire incidents in the state have doubled this season, compared to the previous year. From April 1 to May 20 this year, a total of 13,727 farm fire incidents were reported in the state, compared to 6,426 during the same period last year.

Rabi crops such as wheat, oat and mustard are planted between Oct and Nov and harvested in the spring. According to IARI, the highest number of farm fires this year were reported from Siddharthnagar (3,266 incidents), followed by Maharajganj (1,744), Deoria (984), Sant Kabir Nagar (812), and Gorakhpur (694).