Fatehabad: Taking a tough stand against stubble burning, Fatehabad administration on Wednesday directed the agriculture department to lodge an FIR against 115 farmers for setting crop residue on fire.

File image of stubble burning. PTI

The agriculture department has identified as many as 490 locations where crop residue was set on fire. "We have identified 115 farmers based on the location," said District Agriculture Department deputy director Balwant Saharan.

Speaking to ANI, Saharan said that the district magistrate has formed a team of officials from the agriculture department, Patwari, village secretary, and policemen to effectively tackle the menace. He also said that the district administration has been carrying out campaigns to make people aware of the harm of stubble burning.

According to National Green Tribunal (NGT) norms, if a person is found burning crop residue, it will be doused by the agriculture department and the person will have to bear the expenses of the fire brigade. Notably, the concentration level of PM10 in the atmosphere reached 1090 on Wednesday.

Opposing the administration's move, farmers accused the government of not helping them to dispose of the crop residue without setting them on fire and threatened to launch a protest if the FIR were registered.

Gurmukh Singh, a farmer, told ANI that the government was doing nothing to help farmers dispose of crop residue in an environment-friendly manner. "The government should give us the necessary equipment to dispose of crop residue. We do not want to set it on fire, either. We burn it since we do not have any other option," he said.

Another farmer Makhan Singh Gill said the government should find a solution for the problem and farmers will oppose if the FIR is lodged.