Punjab: Officer enforcing anti-pollution rules made to burn stubble
What's the story
A group of farmers in Punjab's Bathinda allegedly forced a Public Works Department (PWD) officer to burn stubble after defying prohibitory orders against crop residue burning. The incident took place when a team of officials led by a special supervisor visited Mehma Sarja village to check for stubble-burning incidents. A video of the incident went viral on social media, prompting a strong reaction from Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who condemned it as an "inhuman crime" and ordered severe action.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Delhi reportedly experiences its peak pollution levels in November, coinciding with a spike in stubble-burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana. The neighboring states have already issued prohibitory orders against farm fires. The Supreme Court recently asked the governments of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan to submit a report on steps taken to control stubble burning and its effects on Delhi's air quality. Notably, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the severe category for many days.
Incident
How farmers forced official to burn stubble
The government official had gone to the fields to stop farmers from burning the paddy straw, but a group of farmers forced him to light the straw with a matchstick. The viral video shows the official's hand being held by two farmers as they force him to set the stubble on fire with a matchstick. The incident came to light on Friday after CM Mann posted a video on X and condemned the farmers' action, calling the incident "intolerable."
Twitter Post
Watch: Video posted by Mann on X
ਪਿਆਰੇ ਪੰਜਾਬੀਓ ਆਹ ਕਿਹੜੇ ਰਾਹਾਂ 'ਤੇ ਤੁਰ ਪਏ ?? .. ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਕਰਮਚਾਰੀ ਪਰਾਲ਼ੀ ਨਾ ਜਲਾਉਣ ਦਾ ਸੰਦੇਸ਼ ਲੈ ਕੇ ਗਿਆ ਪਰ ਓਸੇ ਤੋਂ ਅੱਗ ਲਗਵਾਈ..ਹਵਾ ਨੂੰ ਗੁਰੂ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ ਨੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਦਾ ਦਰਜਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ .. ਅਸੀਂ ਇਸ ਦਰਜੇ ਨੂੰ ਬਰਬਾਦ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਆਪਣੇ ਹੱਥਾਂ 'ਚ ਤੀਲੀਆਂ ਲੈ ਕੇ ਅਪਣੇ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਹਿੱਸੇ ਦੀ ਆਕਸੀਜਨ ਨੂੰ ਖਤਮ ਕਰਨ ਲੱਗੇ… pic.twitter.com/JHzshx4fhs
— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) November 4, 2023
Details
Bathinda Police registers FIR under various IPC sections
Mann stated that the state government cannot tolerate such lawlessness and will not be a mute spectator to this "heinous" incident. He emphasized that the smoke from these fields would also harm the farmers' own children. Meanwhile, the Bathinda Police registered a case under the relevant Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections, including assault against a public servant and obstruction of public functions, after Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Showkat Ahmad Parray's request.
Insights
Stubble burning remains issue in Punjab
The state reported 14,173 stubble-burning incidents till Saturday, according to Punjab Remote Sensing Centre data. This is even after a report that the number of stubble-burning incidents in Punjab has decreased by around 56% since September 15. Stubble (parali) burning refers to the process of burning the remains of paddy crops to sow wheat in agricultural fields from September-end to November. It releases toxic pollutants like carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), volatile organic compounds (VOC), and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.