Ground Report – 'We're Forced To Burn Stubble, the Government Has Failed to Provide Incentives'
- 3 years ago
Punjab saw a sharp rise in stubble-burning incidents in the Kharif season this year. This happened despite the Supreme Court's intervention in the matter in 2019.
Last year, the SC had ordered that states must provide Rs. 2400 per acre cash incentives to small and medium farmers along with subsidies on the purchase of machinery which is used to manage crop residue. But farmers of Niamian village near Kurali in Punjab say that not much has happened on the ground.
In August this year, the Punjab government informed the SC that they have not been able to provide cash incentives to farmers due to financial restraints that the state is facing due to pandemic.
On the one hand, government help is not forthcoming, on the other, over 190 FIRs and fines up to 40 lakh have been slapped on farmers for burning crop residue this year.
"Farmers are being fined Rs. 1 crore. How can they pay this sum? The ones who can, can also buy the machinery to manage his stubble", Bhaag Singh, a farmer, told The Wire.
"The government tells us to make bundles of paddy residue.No one in our area has this machinery. Even if we rent it out from someone, the whole process delays the sowing of the next crop,' said Jaspal Singh.
He added, "We can’t even decompose this residue easily. Farmers who have tried to decompose this residue using Happy Seeder machines have seen their crop spoil. If we could decompose this residue in time using water from the tube wells, we wouldn’t burn it."
Jitender Singh who has not been burning crop residue since the last two. years said, "these machines are also not available easily. We have to clear our fields quickly to sow the next crop. Suddenly, everyone in the village needs machines. The demand becomes high. I feel it is better to get it removed manually from labour, which I have been doing."
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Last year, the SC had ordered that states must provide Rs. 2400 per acre cash incentives to small and medium farmers along with subsidies on the purchase of machinery which is used to manage crop residue. But farmers of Niamian village near Kurali in Punjab say that not much has happened on the ground.
In August this year, the Punjab government informed the SC that they have not been able to provide cash incentives to farmers due to financial restraints that the state is facing due to pandemic.
On the one hand, government help is not forthcoming, on the other, over 190 FIRs and fines up to 40 lakh have been slapped on farmers for burning crop residue this year.
"Farmers are being fined Rs. 1 crore. How can they pay this sum? The ones who can, can also buy the machinery to manage his stubble", Bhaag Singh, a farmer, told The Wire.
"The government tells us to make bundles of paddy residue.No one in our area has this machinery. Even if we rent it out from someone, the whole process delays the sowing of the next crop,' said Jaspal Singh.
He added, "We can’t even decompose this residue easily. Farmers who have tried to decompose this residue using Happy Seeder machines have seen their crop spoil. If we could decompose this residue in time using water from the tube wells, we wouldn’t burn it."
Jitender Singh who has not been burning crop residue since the last two. years said, "these machines are also not available easily. We have to clear our fields quickly to sow the next crop. Suddenly, everyone in the village needs machines. The demand becomes high. I feel it is better to get it removed manually from labour, which I have been doing."
Like our work? Click here to support The Wire: https://thewire.in/support
The founding premise of The Wire is this: if good journalism is to survive and thrive, it can only do so by being both editorially and financially independent. This means relying principally on contributions from readers and concerned citizens who have no interest other than to sustain a space for quality journalism. As a publication, The Wire will be firmly committed to the public interest and democratic values.
We publish in four different languages!
For English, visit www.thewire.in
for Hindi: http://thewirehindi.com/
for Urdu: http://thewireurdu.com
for Marathi: https://marathi.thewire.in
If you are a young writer or a creator, you can submit articles, essays, photos, poetry – anything that’s straight out of your imagination – to LiveWire, The Wire’s portal for the young, by the young. https://livewire.thewire.in/
You can also follow The Wire’s social media platforms and engage with us.
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https://twitter.com/thewirehindi
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