Haryana CM Manohar Lal announced cash incentives for reporting stubble-burning

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has announced cash incentives for those reporting incidents of crop residue burning and directed officials to encourage farmers to opt alternatives. The announcement came on Friday after a Supreme Court panel on pollution control declared a public health emergency in the national capital. According to the Centre's air quality monitor SAFAR, the share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution stood at 46 per cent.

An official release said that Mr Khattar met officials to review the crop residue management scheme in his state. He directed officers of the Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare



Department to visit 10 villages where maximum incidents crop residue burning has been reported and ascertain the reason behind it. He said a cash award of 1,000 rupees would be given to those informing about such incidents in their area and their identity would be kept secret.

He said that the Deputy Commissioners of the concerned districts would also organize meeting of 'Gram Sabha' in these villages so that detailed deliberations could be held with the farmers on the issue. Directions were also issued for exploring various options for the purchase of crop residue from farmers.