Deputy Director of the Agriculture Department, Wazir Singh, confirmed that wheat cultivation spans approximately 425,000 acres within the district, with nearly 50 percent of the harvest already completed. Since April 1, the administration has activated a real-time surveillance network supported by the Haryana Space Applications Centre. This satellite-based system identifies fire hotspots with surgical precision, transmitting exact coordinates to rapid-response teams for immediate ground-level intervention.
To ensure comprehensive coverage, a sophisticated administrative hierarchy has been established. Seven senior officials, led by the Additional Deputy Commissioner, are directing operations from the district headquarters. Control is further decentralized to sub-divisional and block levels, where Sub-Divisional Magistrates, Block Development and Panchayat Officers, Revenue Officers, and agriculture officials lead the enforcement. At the grassroots level, a coordinated task force consisting of Village Accountants, village secretaries, and personnel from the animal husbandry and agriculture departments has been deployed. In total, a force of approximately 700 officials and employees is currently engaged in this massive campaign.
The administration has issued a stern warning that any violation of the burning ban will result in immediate and severe penalties. Fines are structured based on landholding size: farmers with less than two acres will be charged 5,000 rupees; those with land between two and five acres face a fine of 10,000 rupees; and landowners with more than five acres will be penalized 30,000 rupees. Beyond financial levies, the administration will initiate criminal proceedings under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The most crippling deterrent, however, is the implementation of a "red entry" on the "My Crop My Details" digital portal. This designation effectively blacklists offending farmers, barring them from selling their produce at the Minimum Support Price for the next two agricultural seasons. This measure is designed to hit violators where it hurts most, significantly restricting their market access and long-term financial stability. This aggressive enforcement strategy signals a shift toward a zero-tolerance era, where technology-driven governance and strict legal accountability converge to tackle seasonal pollution at its source.
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