"Farmers are helpless": Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee leader on stubble burning

Amritsar (Punjab) [India], September 27 : Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee leader Gurbachan Singh Chhaba on Friday suggested the government should come up with a permanent solution on the stubble-burning issue and said that no farmer wants to burn stubble but they are helpless.
"No farmer wants to burn stubble but they are helpless. Preparing one's field (for the next crop) is very expensive...The government invents new machines every year and the machines from the previous year become metal waste. Farmers have to procure machines every year, there is no solution to this. The government should come up with a permanent solution to this stubble-burning issue," Chhaba told ANI.
Earlier today, an incident of stubble burning was seen in the field in Chabba village of Amritsar.

Earlier on Wednesday, Chairman of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), Dr Adarsh Pal Vig said that from September 15 till September 25, 93 incidents of stubble burning have been reported in the state, adding that in the last two years, there has been a drastic reduction in stubble burning incidents.
"From September 15 till today, 93 incidents of burning have been reported in Punjab. Amritsar, Guradpur, and Tarn Taran have early harvesting. In the last two years, there has been a drastic reduction in incidents, with around 36,000 incidents reported last year as compared to over 70,000 incidents in the year before it. In the last two years, a 46 per cent-50 per cent reduction in cases has been reported. We have to bring this number to zero," Vig said.
The Chairman of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) said that with the collective effort of farmers, industry, the energy department, the agriculture department, and the public are working together towards it.
"Out of the 6 million tonne stubble, 4 million tonne stubble is being burnt in industrial boilers in different industries today. The Punjab government has earmarked Rs 25 crore in benefits to those who install paddy-based industrial boilers. 4 units for compressed biogas have been set up and 7-8 plants are planned. For storage of stubble, government and panchayat land is also given. Today, farm stubble pellets are being used as fuel in thermal power plants in Punjab and also brick kilns. 18 farm stubble pelletisation plants have been set up and 19 are in the pipeline," Vig added.
Punjab Minister Balbir Singh said that the state government has enough equipment to fight against the stubble burning and urged the farmers to come and meet them if they have any issues.
"Stubble burning first affects the person burning it, his family members, and people of his village because all of these people are inhaling it directly... It can cause problems like coughing, chronic bronchitis, and eyes burning. It also affects pregnant women and children. Ecology is also affected, and birds and animals die. Invisible and friendly bacteria are killed...This is a collective responsibility. We have enough equipment, and a lot of NGOs are collaborating with us... I request the farmers to come and meet us if they have any issues," Singh said.