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The Punjab Police administration in Gurdaspur on Sunday intensified efforts to prevent incidents of stubble burning, with teams conducting regular inspections and awareness campaigns across villages in the district.
Officials said administrative and police teams are continuously visiting nearby villages to ensure that no farmer sets crop residue on fire. Speaking to ANI on the initiative, SSP Aditya said that people are being informed through these camps about the environmental and health hazards caused by stubble burning. "Gurdaspur Police and the district administration are conducting awareness campaigns across villages to curb stubble burning. Farmers are being educated about the harmful impact of stubble burning on the environment and public health", SSP said. "We appeal to farmers to adopt scientific methods for stubble management and cooperate with the administration. Strict legal action will be taken against those violating the ban on stubble burning", he added. According to police authorities, one police officer has been deployed in each village to monitor local activities and encourage farmers not to burn stubble. Special awareness camps are also being organised to educate farmers and residents about the harmful effects of stubble burning. Officials stated that burning stubble leads to environmental pollution, increases air pollution levels and adversely affects public health. The police administration has appealed to farmers to adopt alternative stubble management methods and cooperate in protecting the environment. The Punjab government has rolled out strict measures for the 2025-2026 season to curb stubble burning, aiming to slash farm fires by 50%. The push combines heavy subsidies, tech surveillance, and legal penalties. Under a 500 crore plan, individual farmers get 50% subsidy and farmer groups/cooperatives get 80% subsidy on Crop Residue Management machines. By late 2025, FIRs were being filed against violators. The state is also making "red entries" in land records of farmers who burn stubble -- a move that blocks them from selling the land or taking loans against it. Punjab is using satellite data to spot fires in real time. Ground teams with Punjab Pollution Control Board officials are verifying incidents on the ground. The state is promoting both in-situ management in the field and ex-situ use of stubble. Focus areas include biochar production and increasing paddy straw pellet use in thermal power plants. Special campaigns and farmer counselling sessions are underway, especially in high-fire districts like Muktsar and Fazilka. The government is also pushing crop diversification to cut the overall paddy area and reduce stubble load. Despite the measures, the government faces pushback from farmers. Many protest the high cost of machines and the narrow window between paddy harvest and wheat sowing, saying it leaves them little choice. (ANI)
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