From the archive record
Farmer sets fire on the straw stubble that remains after rice have been harvested in Punjab. Crop burning in Punjab releases smokes into the air which affects the quality of the soil and air. Punjab’s Remote Sensing Centre has estimated over 19,000 incidents of paddy straw burning in the state till October 29. The burning process is a low-cost straw-disposal method that also reduces the turnaround time for them. However, the resultant smoke travels all the way to the national capital due to the winds. Every year in Punjab, about 7 to 8 million metric tonnes of paddy residue is burnt openly. Toxic chemicals, which result in respiratory problems, are released in the atmosphere. Farmers burn the paddy stubble as it involves no cost. Crop residue burning was notified as an offence under the Ai