(This story originally appeared in on Oct 07, 2017)

BATHINDA: With the Centre and the Punjab government not assuring any compensation to farmers for managing crop residue, farmers have started preparations to burn paddy stubble after the harvest. At some places, paddy straw has been burnt collectively.According to information, meetings were being organised by activists of various farmer organisations across the Malwa region where growers were asked to take an oath to burn the stubble if the government failed to provide a bonus of Rs 200 per quintal on paddy.Several farmers of Rampura village in Bathinda and Buttar Kalan in Moga assembled at their local gurdwaras on Friday, took vows and collectively burnt paddy stubble. Sources said the collective decision to burn the straw had been taken in more than 50 villages across Bathinda, Mansa, Barnala and the Moga districts.Paddy has been sown in over 29.5 lakh hectares in Punjab, including 4.5 lakh hectares under the aromatic basmati crop. Output of the paddy in Punjab this season is expected to be 165 millon tonnes and nearly 197 lakh tonnes of paddy straw is expected to be generated, and there is provision to mix nearly 21% residue into soil or use it at other sources.Peasant outfits Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) and BKU (Dakaunda), residents of villages Chathewala, Mansa Khurd, Bhai Bakhtaur and Badiala in Bathinda have decided to burn the straw in coming days.In Mansa, farmers have taken decision to burn straw at Bhainibagha, Burj Hai, Bhai Desa, Thuthiawalia, Nangal, Heerewala, Khaara, Barnala, Khillan, Dalel Singh Wala, Matti, Aklia and Khiala villages. In Moga, paddy stubble will be set on fire at Talwandi Bhangeria and Varrey villages.BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan led the farmers in burning stubble at Buttar Kalan in Moga. He said, “The stubble will be burnt in all the villages and we will see what action the state government takes against us.”BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) Rampura Phool unit chief Sukhdev Singh and BKU (Dakonda) vice-president Gurdeep Singh said, “Many farmers assembled at the village gurdwara today to take oath to burn the stubble. They then went to the fields and collectively burnt the crop residue.”BKU (Dakaunda) secretary Gora Singh Bhainibagha said, “A kisan mela (farmer fair) was organised on Friday at Mansa where we forced the authorities to give us time to address the gathering. When I said that as governments have failed to provide bonus on paddy we will burn the stubble, hundreds of farmers present at the venue clapped and repeated my words.”Bathinda deputy commissioner Diprava Lakra said, “No case has been registered so far for stubble burning. We will look into burning of paddy straw at Rampura.”Live demonstration to manage crop residueBarnala: Concerned over burning of paddy stubble, Barnala deputy commissioner Ghanshyam Thori on Friday organised live demonstration for farmers at Moom village in the district and made them aware about the ways with which they could deal with crop residue. DC Thori said, “The district administration wanted the farmers to have first-hand information as how burning of crop stubble causes pollution in the environment and how it could be avoided by mechanisation.” He urged the farmers not to burn paddy straw in the interest of the country and the coming generations as it caused air and soil pollution. The farmers were told about various ways through which they could find a suitable solution to avoid burning of paddy straw.