Patiala: Even before the arrival of winter, some of the district farmers recently received court notices about paying “environmental compensation” to burn stumps in their field last year.
Some trade unions hate the move, and claim that the notification was sent to farmers after the Punjab polluson control board (PPCB) had submitted a complaint in the court last year.
In the village of Lachkani Patiala, around six farmers have received court notices in the last few days.
However, PPCB officials have revealed that more than 150 farmers are sent to court for publishing notifications.
Last year, the Board has recorded 76,590 agricultural fire incidents, which have imposed environmental compensation (EC) in 12,106 cases.
The total cost of more than RS 3 Crores was also applied, but only RS 65 Lakh was restored.
This year, PPCB has so far imposed EC in 81 farmers because it burns stumps.
“We have filed complaints around 200 cases of burning stumps to claim environmental compensation because farmers fail to respond to notifications sent by the pollution department.
Last year, the number of agricultural fire incidents was higher than the last three years, but actions were only carried out against several,” officials said PPCB on anonymity.
Surjit Singh Lachkani, BKU Leader Ekta Dkaunta in Patiala, said, “The farmers have begun to get notice from the court when PPCB officials submit a complaint against them because they do not pay compensation.
The state government must pay attention to this problem and instruct the pollution council department to save farmers from tangled law.
Farmers do not want to pollute the environment and make losses on their own farm fields by burning stumps, but they do not have other solutions for this problem.
“Like the increasing annual loss and under loan pressure, farmers have committed suicide and Thus they cannot bear further costs in managing stumps.
Immediately a meeting with senior Farmer Union leaders was planned to launch agitation in this regard also “