Farmers in Haryana who burn stubble set to face market curbs

The Haryana government has issued orders to all its deputy commissioners and deputy directors of agriculture, directing them to take action against farmers found burning crop residue, and impose restrictions on them from selling crops in mandis through the e-kharid portal for the next two seasons.
The state agriculture department has also asked its field officials to make sure that the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) are implemented, and first information reports (FIRs) are registered against farmers who have burnt the paddy stubble during the current season.
On Friday, Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini said farmers are fully aware about the health consequences of burning crop residue, and added that his government is taking every step to curb farm fires.
The development comes after the Supreme Court on Wednesday had pulled up the Punjab and Haryana governments for their “failure” to take effective action against stubble burning, highlighting that criminal prosecution had not been initiated against a single farmer in either state.
The court also ordered penal action against officials of the two states for breaching CAQM orders, and summoned the two chief secretaries to appear before it on October 23 and explain why no stringent action was taken either against the offending farmers or officials who failed to carry out the prosecution.
Every year, Delhi faces a public health crisis in the run-up to and during most of the winter season. The crisis begins with the emanation of farm fires in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, causing a smog jacket to form over northern India, particularly Delhi.
What exacerbates this crisis is the fact that this period also coincides with Diwali, often resulting in Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) climbing past 400 and even 450 to reach toxic levels.