-Visit villages to sensitise farmers; district reports zero stubble-burning incidents so far this year
-Inspect drone surveillance system deployed to monitor and prevent stubble burning
Sultanpur Lodhi, October 10: Deputy Commissioner Akash Bansal and SSP Gaurav Toora on Saturday intensified the district-wide campaign against stubble burning by visiting villages and interacting with farmers, urging them to join hands with the Punjab Government in preventing the practice and protecting the environment.
Accompanied by officials of the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, Cooperative Department and Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), the DC and SSP visited villages, including Dudwindi and Jainpur, where they sensitised farmers to the harmful effects of stubble burning and encouraged them to adopt scientific crop residue management practices.
They highlighted that stubble burning not only contributes to air pollution but also destroys essential nutrients in the soil, adversely affecting its fertility and long-term productivity. They stressed that coordinated efforts by farmers, government departments and other stakeholders were essential to eliminate the practice and ensure a cleaner and healthier environment. They also appealed to farmers to actively support the Punjab Government’s campaign against stubble burning and adopt environment-friendly alternatives for managing paddy residue.
They informed farmers that 5500 agricultural machines had been made available across the district through Custom Hiring Centres, cooperative societies and farmer groups to facilitate the scientific management of paddy residue. The machinery included balers, rakes, Super Seeders, Smart Seeders, surface seeders, zero-till drills, reversible mould board (RMB) ploughs, mulchers, straw choppers, Super SMS machines, crop reapers, rotary slashers and tractors. These machines would enable farmers to manage crop residue effectively without resorting to burning.
They further stated that the district administration was maintaining a close vigil to prevent stubble-burning incidents and that not a single incident had been reported in the district so far in 2026. Highlighting the significant decline in such cases, they said that the district had recorded 360 incidents in 2024 and 170 in 2025, while sustained awareness efforts and enforcement measures were being pursued to maintain the zero-incident record this year.
The DC and SSP called upon farmers to work in close coordination with the administration and make full use of the available machinery to ensure cleaner air, preserve soil fertility and safeguard the environment for future generations. They also listened to farmers’ queries and assured them that their issues would be addressed promptly. They also flagged off awareness vans to sensitize the farmers about the harmful effects of the stubble burning.
Later, the DC and SSP inspected the functioning of drones deployed in the Sultanpur Lodhi area for surveillance and monitoring of stubble-burning incidents.
On the occasion, ASP Dhirendra Verma, SDM Jasjit Singh, Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Jaswinder Singh, DR Cooperative Jagjit Singh and other officials were also present.
