Mansa farmers making stubble-burning calls from gurdwaras.
In a clear violation of state government orders, members of the farmer union have now taken to making announcements in gurdwaras, before stubble burning in Mansa villages.
Members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Dakounda) have been encouraging farmers to defy government orders by making announcements from gurdwaras.
“We have been gathering farmers by making announcements at villages like Aklia, Makha, Khyala Kalan, Ralla before burning stubble in around 100 acres.
The government has issued gag orders against stubble burning but no alternatives have been provided to us,” said leader of BKU (Dakaounda) Mohinder Singh.
Slamming the government for not imposing fine on industrialists for adding to water pollution, one of protesting farmers Jiwan Singh said, “They have put satellite mapping to track offenders who burn the agricultural residue, but the industrial wastes released in the water bodies invite no such punishment.” Even after the district administration issued over 40 challans against farmers for stubble burning in the district, the practice continues to be followed across villages.
HT earlier highlighted that the district administration claimed that it had failed to receive alerts about fire incidents in the agricultural fields from the satellite mapping centre in Ludhiana.
Speaking to HT, deputy commissioner Dharam Pal Gupta initially denied incidents of stubble burnig, but later said stern action will be taken against the members of farmer union for instigating people to burn stubble.
“This is getting common in villages where there is a strong presence of farmers union.
Strong action will be taken against offenders.” However, despite the video of farmers burning stubble going viral, no one has been booked.