In a major crackdown against stubble burning, the Amritsar Rural police registered as many as 95 FIRs in a single day against farmers for allegedly setting crop residue on fire across various parts of the district.
The cases were registered on the complaints of police personnel—on the basis of satellite images—indicating incidents of crop residue burning in different villages.
The majority of the cases were registered against unidentified people. However, in three separate cases, four were booked by name.
Sukhdev Singh and Gurwinder Singh, both residents of Varpal village, were booked by Chatiwind police station. Meanwhile, Harpal Singh and Kulwant Singh, both residents of Majitha, were booked in separate FIRs by the Majitha police.
Among all police stations, Chatiwind recorded the highest number of cases with 18 FIRs, followed by Ajnala police station with 15 cases. Jhander, Beas and Mattewal police stations reported 10 FIRs each.
Kamboh police station registered seven cases, while Ramdass and Mehta police stations lodged five FIRs each. Rajasansi police station reported four cases, whereas Jandiala and Khalchian registered three cases each. Kathunangal and Majitha police stations recorded two FIRs each.
Punjab continues to grapple with the recurring menace of crop stubble burning despite repeated awareness campaigns by the government and district administrations, penalties, and subsidies for crop residue management machinery.
The practice, largely adopted for the quick disposal of paddy straw before the next sowing season, contributes significantly to air pollution during the harvesting months and adversely affects soil fertility and public health.
Every year, incidents of stubble burning trigger a spike in pollution levels across Punjab and neighbouring states, drawing concern from environmental agencies and courts. Experts have repeatedly warned that burning crop residue releases harmful gases and particulate matter into the atmosphere, besides destroying beneficial microorganisms in the soil.
Amritsar Rural SSP Sohail Qasim Mir said further investigation was under way to identify the owners of the fields where incidents of stubble burning were detected. He added that the administration has been using satellite surveillance and ground-level monitoring to trace violations and initiate legal action against offenders.
