Due to a sudden increase in incidents of stubble burning in fields, Deputy Commissioner Mrs. Sakshi Sawhney and SSP Rural Mr. Charanjit Singh personally visited various villages to extinguish the fire in the fields, calling the fire brigade to the scene.
The Deputy Commissioner issued strict instructions to the officials, warning that nodal officers and concerned SHO/beat officers showing negligence in duty would face legal action in court in accordance with the recent guidelines of the Air Quality Management Commission.
The Deputy Commissioner and SSP Rural first arrived at the village of Mehlanwala, where the fire in the fields was extinguished, and then proceeded to Adliwal, Jagdev Kalan, Mallu Nangal, Sahisra, Raja Sansi, and Harsha China to extinguish fires by calling the fire brigade immediately.
Reviewing the incidents of stubble burning, the Deputy Commissioner said that no negligence in duty would be tolerated. All responsible individuals, including officials, will be held accountable for any violation of the directives issued by the Supreme Court, the National Green Tribunal, and the Air Quality Management Commission.
She noted that despite the availability of stubble management machinery in large numbers, incidents of stubble burning cannot be tolerated. The Deputy Commissioner directed the SDMs to increase farmers' access to these machines and emphasized that all nodal officers should remain more vigilant to prevent such incidents.
Teams working in the fields today also reached the spots to extinguish fires. She appealed to farmers to contact the helpline number 0183-2229125 for stubble management assistance. She also checked the work of nodal officers at the village level and advised them to be alert, stressing that reaching the site of any fire in the fields is crucial and that they should also caution farmers to prevent environmental pollution.
It is noteworthy that in its order dated October 10, 2024, the Commission stated, "By exercising powers under Section L 4(2), the Commission authorizes the Deputy Commissioner/District Collector/District Magistrate posted in Punjab, Haryana, NCR Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh regions, and the NCT of Delhi, to file complaints/lawsuits regarding the incompetence of the nodal officer, supervisory officer, and station house officer posted at various levels and stations to ensure the effective implementation of these ban orders in the area judicial magistrate."
Today, Additional Deputy Commissioner Mrs. Jyoti Bala also visited various villages, including Jandiala, Dheere Kot, Wadala Johal, Amarjot, and Bamha Gehri, to extinguish fires in the fields and instructed officials to take strict action against farmers involved in stubble burning.
She said that while fires are degrading the environment, they are also spreading various diseases.The Chief Agriculture Officer Mr. Tajinder Singh and other officials were also present at the scene.