No subsidies, financial assistance if farmers found burning crop residue

Gurgaon: Haryana will deploy satellite surveillance to monitor stubble burning and take swift action against violators amid a recent rise in incidents, officials said.Real-time tracking through Haryana Space Applications Centre will detect fires and flag GPS coordinates of affected fields, enabling rapid response by enforcement teams. Farmers found burning crop residue will face strict penalties, including a “red entry” in revenue records, barring them from registering crops on the Meri Fasal-Mera Byora portal and selling produce at govt mandis. Offenders will also be denied access to agricultural subsidies, schemes and financial assistance for the upcoming season, officials said.The move follows a sharp spike in wheat residue burning this April, with 1,565 farm fire incidents recorded between April 1 and 30 — a 157% increase over 608 cases during the same period last year, according to Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).District authorities have intensified high-tech monitoring of farmlands. “Real-time satellite surveillance will form the backbone of enforcement this season,” said Jhajjar deputy commissioner Swapnil Ravindra Patil.Patil added the administration will adopt a “zero-tolerance approach.” “Stubble burning is not only illegal but also harmful to the environment and soil health. Farmers must understand that the economic and legal repercussions will be severe,” he said.He noted that the practice damages soil’s organic structure, destroys beneficial microorganisms and contributes to dangerous spikes in air pollution. Cases may be registered under Environment Protection Act, the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, Disaster Management Act and relevant provisions of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).Patil directed agriculture and farmers welfare department to intensify village-level awareness drives, informing farmers about scientific residue-management options such as mulchers, rotavators, super seeders and other machinery that incorporate residue back into the soil.The administration is also forming district-, subdivision-, block- and village-level committees for close surveillance and immediate action against violations.At the district level, committees will be headed by the additional deputy commissioner and include officials from revenue, rural development, agriculture and HSPCB. Subdivisional panels will be led by SDMs along with police, revenue and agriculture officers.Block-level teams will include BDPOs, naib tehsildars, SHOs and agriculture officials, while village-level groups will comprise patwaris, panchayat secretaries, agriculture supervisors, police representatives and sarpanches to ensure on-ground vigilance.“The administration has directed all committees to maintain strict monitoring and take prompt action to eliminate stubble burning during the harvesting season,” said Gurgaon deputy commissioner Uttam Singh.