Three children receive burn injuries while stubble burning

Three children were seriously injured in the fire while stubble burning in Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, in the limits of Aqbalabad police station.

Despite the ban, the burning of crop residue could not stop, three siblings were burnt and seriously injured in the fire and were shifted to Sheikh Zahid Hospital.

The incident happened last night in suburban Fatehpur Punjabiyan, Deputy Commissioner Shakeel Ahmed Bhatti, and DPO Rizwan Umar Gondal took notice of the incident.

Later, the police registered a case of the incident and arrested the accused who burned the remains of the crop. There is a complete ban on stubble burning in Punjab specially in Lahore due to increasing threat of the smog. The caretaker government is taking a number of steps to address the issue including lockdown, closure of markets and schools, but the issue remains the same.

Earlier, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and police on Saturday arrested seven farmers and registered 21 cases against others for crop stubble burning in a province-wide operation. The PDMA also imposed Rs1.8m fine on farmers over violation.

The cases were registered against five farmers in Bahawalnagar, four in Bahawalpur, one in Kot Addu, three in Narowal, and six in Rajanpur, and two in Vehari. The police arrested four farmers in Bahawalpur, two in Rajanpur, and one in Kot Addu.

Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed said all possible measures were being taken for smog control and the commissioners and DCs had been directed to ensure implementation of smart lockdowns. He said indiscriminate action would be taken against brick kilns and factories contributing to smog and measures were being taken to task to protect urban residents. He said the authorities enforcing laws should keep an eye on violations by the general public and the public should fulfill social responsibility seriously.