Chandigarh, Nov 11 (PTI) Haryana Chief Secretary D S Dhesi said Sunday it was unfair to blame the state for Delhi's poor air quality, saying that crop residue was burnt only on one per cent of the total sown area of paddy.
Dhesi alleged that the role of Haryana was being adversely publicised regarding the pollution in the National Capital Region.
"But, actually, crop residue was burned on only two per cent area of total sown area of paddy in Haryana during (the) last year whereas this year, the crop residue was burned on only one per cent area," he said in Hisar, according to an official release.
Dhesi said the role of Haryana and its farmers was negligible, but rumours were being spread in this regard. "It is being projected that farmers of Haryana are burning crop residue in each and every agricultural field."
The chief secretary said in Haryana, paddy crop was mainly sown on 13 lakh hectares area in 10 districts.
"As per the data received from HARSAC (Haryana Space Applications Centre, Hisar) the crop residue burning cases were reported on 12,473 places in the state in 2017.
"Similarly, this year such cases were reported on 7,273 places which is only one per cent of the total area," he said.
Dhesi added that crop residue-based compressed bio gas plants would be established Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Jind. Apart from this, an MoU has been signed between the Indian Oil Corporation and Renewable Energy Department, under which crop residue would be purchased from farmers for these plants and energy would be generated out of it.
Later, presiding over a meeting of administrative officers of Fatehabad, Sirsa and Jind districts, Dhesi said the seriousness of administrative officers and representatives of panchayati raj institutions would be evaluated on the basis of their contribution in curbing burning of crop residue.
Dhesi said the period between October 15 and November 25 was very crucial as this is the period when maximum cases of crop-residue burning are reported.
In view of this, the chief secretary constituted two committees -- a committee comprising of members of the revenue, agriculture and district development and panchayat departments would monitor the sensitive villages; whereas the committee of sub-divisional officer and tehsildar would visit different villages of the district from time to time.
The chief secretary directed the deputy commissioners of Sirsa and Jind district to adopt the decision taken by the Fatehabad deputy commissioner of not issuing arms licences or renew old licences of those persons who are found guilty of burning crop residue.
He said apart from issuing challans to people indulging in burning crop residue, FIRs should also be registered against such guilty persons. The Haryana State Pollution Control Board would send cases of farmers burning crop residue to the courts for trials.
