Curb stubble burning: Haryana’s Active Fire Location app to be available on Google Play soon

The Haryana Space Application Centre (HARSAC) is under the process to bring mobile application ‘Active Fire Location’ in Google Play to make it easier for users to download, said RS Hooda, chief scientist of HARSAC, located at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU).

Presently, the application is available for download at HARSAC website hrsdi.in. Talking to HT, RS Hooda said, “Scientists of HARSAC are trying to bring the application in Google Play so to facilitate its download which will lead more people giving information and reporting cases of stubble burning around them.”

As of now, the application is only available on Android phones from the website.

Explaining further, Hooda said that the mobile application shows the exact location of an active fire with the routes to reach the spot at the earliest after the HARSAC collects the report from a US-based satellite, Suomi.

Sharing data of 2017, Hooda said that more than 13,000 active fire location were spotted after harvesting of paddy crop in Haryana state and a detail reported was sent to the pollution control department and concerned deputy commissioners of the districts.

Comparison of 2017 and 2018 reports

According to the reports of stubble burning cases in Haryana from September 25, 2017 to October 4, 2017 and the same period in 2018, as released by HARSAC, it is evident that this year, there were eight more cases.

Last year, from September 25 to October 4, there were 45 cases and during the same time this year, 53 stubble burning cases were reported from various districts of the state.

30 sensitive villages identified in each district

Hooda said that the HARSAC has identified 30 villages in every district where most of the stubble burning cases took place in the last few years. The government and the scientists of HARSAC are keeping a tight vigil in the identified villages and also launching awareness campaigns in these villages, he said.

He said the scientists are also visiting these villages to spread awareness among the farmers against stubble burning and also taking an undertaking from them regarding the same.

Fir and fine in hisar

According to a government press release, the deputy commissioner (DC), Hisar Ashok Kumar Meena claimed that the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Hisar, Paramjeet Singh Chahel is keeping eye on the reports of HARSAC in Hisar and on Wednesday, slapped ₹2,500 fine on a farmer of Jagan village and reported the police to register FIR against a farmer identified as Manphool of village Juglan.