Punjab: Action taken against 7 sarpanches for failing to prevent stubble burning

Punjab: Seven sarpanches and 40 nodal officers of Faridkot district have been issued notices for failing to prevent stubble burning in their respective areas. Deputy Commissioner Vineet Kumar has issued show-cause notices to sarpanches of villages where more than 10 farm fires have been reported. It is their moral duty to prevent stubble burning and air pollution, the notice said. Since they are elected public representatives, it is their duty to prevent anything detrimental to public health in their respective areas, the notice said.

Besides, 40 government officials working as nodal officers have also been served notices for failing to check stubble burning in villages assigned to them. In Faridkot district, 170 nodal officers, one for each village, 17 cluster officers and 35 senior officers were assigned the task of checking farm fires. So far, 256 incidents have been detected in the district by the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, of which the administration has confirmed 141 after spot and physical verification.