Patiala: Patiala deputy commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal on Friday directed nodal officers to focus on hotspot villages and ensure that no stubble burning case was reported in the district.Reviewing preparations for this year’s paddy stubble-burning season, Aggarwal said villages that reported no stubble burning cases in previous years would be honoured, while action would be taken against violators under prescribed rules.He directed SDMs and officials of the agriculture and cooperation departments and the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to ensure compliance with Supreme Court directions issued on April 3, 2025.Aggarwal directed the agriculture department to maximise village-level awareness activities, encourage farmers not to burn stubble, and ensure optimum use of crop residue management machinery. Such machinery should be available at village or cluster level, with farmers receiving the necessary assistance to use it, he said.He instructed police and SDMs to maintain surveillance in their jurisdictions and coordinate with other departments. SDMs and nodal officers should regularly visit their assigned villages and take advance preventive measures, Aggarwal added.
