Several farmers arrested in Punjab after FIRs on stubble burning

Police arrested the farmers, who resorted to stubble burning to clear their farmland of crop residue, after some 300 FIRs were lodged across Punjab against them.

While cases were registered under Section 188 of the IPC and 10 under the Air(Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act were registered, criminal cases were also lodged. The Punjab Pollution Control Board(PCB) also filed challans against some erring farmers.

According to reports the arrested farmers were released on bail, later.

After the smoke emanating from the farm fires engulfed Delhi and its neighbouring area in a thick envelope of smog, Supreme Count on last Monday ordered an immediate stop to the fires and slammed the state governments for not taking proactive steps for preventing the menace.

"You just want to sit in your ivory towers and rule. You are not bothered and are letting the people die," a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra had said coming down heavily on the governments of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

"Why you were not prepared for this (prevent stubble burning) in advance? What steps have you taken to prevent it? If state governments cannot do this, let them go. We do not bother. In case, you are not bothered about people, you have no right to be in power," the top court had said.