Patna: Stubble-burning farmers in Bihar are set to face substantial consequences as the Nitish Kumar government has decided to withhold paddy purchases from those who engage in this harmful practice.
In a meeting convened on Friday under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Aamir Subhani, a decision was taken to discourage the burning of crop residues in fields and improve crop residue management.
Chief Secretary Subhani emphasized the alarming increase in air pollution, as indicated by the Air Quality Index (AQI), particularly during October. With the approaching harvest season, the situation is expected to worsen, prompting officials to remain vigilant from this moment forward.
The chief secretary instructed the display of a list containing the names of farmers whose Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) registrations have been cancelled due to repeated crop residue burning. Furthermore, he called for the necessary actions to be taken against such farmers under relevant legal sections, aimed at sending a stern message and deterring others from engaging in this environmentally damaging practice.
The meeting commenced with Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal shedding light on the severe losses associated with crop residue burning and the urgency of effective crop residue management. Agarwal noted that satellite images of locations with previous complaints of crop residue burning have been shared with authorities.
In a move to closely monitor crop residue burning during paddy harvesting, Agarwal issued instructions to establish a control room at the headquarters level. He further directed District Magistrates (DMs) to convene meetings of inter-departmental district-level working groups focused on crop residue management.
Additionally, Agarwal highlighted the availability of Panchayat-wise details of combine harvesters with the District Agriculture Officer. He urged DMs to meet with combine harvester owners and operators before the harvest to stress the importance of not burning crop residues. Furthermore, combine harvester owners and operators are required to submit affidavits pledging not to engage in crop residue burning.
