Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Moga: Holidays of officials canceled for next 10 days
Monitoring of fields to continue even during the upcoming three-day holiday
Babushahi Bureau
Moga (Punjab), November 14, 2024:To effectively curb incidents of stubble burning, the District Administration of Moga has decided to cancel all leaves for civil and police officials for the next 10 days.
Moreover, even during the next three-day holiday, officials have been instructed to continue monitoring the fields.
These directions were issued today by Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal and Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Gandhi during a meeting held with Additional Deputy Commissioners, all SDMs, SPs, police officers, cluster and nodal officers.
During the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal highlighted that the Hon’ble Supreme Court and the Commission for Air Quality Management have taken serious note of the incidents of stubble burning in the state.
He shared that, in light of recent fire incidents, the CJM Court of Moga has started legal proceedings under Section 14(1) of the National Capital and Adjoining Areas Act, under the Air Quality Management Commission, against several officials.
These include Block Development and Panchayat Officers from Baghapurana Rupinderjit Kaur, Nodal Officer Rajwinder Singh, Jagjit Singh, Jagjit Singh Chahal, Jaspal Singh, Balwinder Singh. If Convicted individuals could face a fine of one crore rupees, five years in jail, or both.
He stated that to completely prevent fire incidents in the coming days, all officials' leaves and station leaves for the next 10 days have been canceled.Even though there is a government holiday for the next three days, officials have been instructed to continue monitoring the fields.
Emphasizing the zero-tolerance policy on stubble burning, Deputy Commissioner Sarangal instructed senior officials, all cluster officers, nodal officers, and SHOs to either work effectively to stop stubble burning incidents or be ready to face consequences. He advised cluster officers to report any non-cooperative nodal officers.
He explained that the Hon'ble Supreme Court and central agencies focusing on preventing environmental pollution are monitoring stubble burning incidents in real time, using satellite technology.
The Deputy Commissioner has urged administrative and police officials to adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward stubble burning of paddy residue. He clarified that if any farmer sets fire to his fields, both the farmer and the concerned senior officials and SHOs will face serious consequences.
He called for meetings with all village sarpanches, farmer unions, and influential individuals in Moga district. Additionally, he requested announcements from religious places, including gurdwaras and temples, about refraining from stubble burning. He mentioned that Moga district has adequate machinery for managing stubble, and farmers are encouraged to utilize it.
The Deputy Commissioner appealed to those who engage in stubble burning to do their part in protecting the environment.
SSP Ajay Gandhi instructed all DSPs and SHOs to form separate teams and go into the field to maximize coverage. He also clarified that any police officer or employee neglecting their duty in this regard will face strict action.
It is worth noting that the Punjab Government has banned the burning of crop residue across the state under Section 19(5) of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. The District Administration of Moga is actively working to enforce this directive, in compliance with orders from the Hon'ble National Green Tribunal in New Delhi and guidelines issued by the Punjab Pollution Control Board and the Punjab Government.
To monitor incidents of stubble burning, the district administration has deployed 146 nodal officers and 23 cluster officers, and control rooms have been set up at each sub-divisional level. These control rooms are responsible for immediately forwarding information on stubble burning incidents to the relevant field teams for swift action. Additionally, farmers can call these control rooms to inquire about available machinery for stubble management in local societies.
These control rooms are staffed with police officers, cooperative department officials, and other employees for timely action.
Control room numbers for stubble management information in Sub-Division Moga: 7973058352, 9878576038, 8968510000, 9780100872;
Sub-Division Baghapurana: 9814481581, 7009034364, 9815117302, 9780005208;
Sub-Division Dharamkot: 8390200013, 7837600502, 9878525552, 9870002034;
Sub-Division Nihal Singh Wala: 7009047446, 9780633830, 9876369701, 9780007417.