The Haryana police on Monday claimed to have arrested 14 farmers on charges of burning stubble in the state’s Kaithal district over the past few days, even as pollution levels in the region see a rise.

According to officials, Kaithal has recorded 127 farm fires since September 15 this season, the highest in the state, followed by 91 in Kurukshetra and 74 in Ambala. They said 11 cases of farm fires were reported in the state on Sunday with a maximum four in Kaithal and Fatehabad districts.

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The total farm fire tally stands at 653 for this season, they added.

“During the past few days, 14 farmers were arrested for burning stubble, but they were later released on bail as the offence is bailable,” Kaithal’s Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarters) Birbhan told reporters.

Cases have been lodged under the provisions of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and other relevant provisions of the law for burning stubble, he said.

Haryana Chief Secretary T V S N Prasad had recently directed deputy commissioners to ensure stubble burning incidents are effectively curtailed.

The development comes after the Supreme Court last week pulled up the Punjab and Haryana governments over non-prosecution of those found guilty of stubble burning. It has summoned the chief secretaries of both the states to appear before it on October 23 for an explanation.

A bench of justices Abhay S Oka, Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Augustine George Maish pointed out “complete insensitivity” on the part of the two states, directing the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to take penal action against their government officials for failure to take action against the violators.

Farmers set paddy residue ablaze to clear their fields to sow wheat, a Rabi crop, as the window between harvesting and sowing is very short.

Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Congress general secretary and Sirsa MP Kumari Selja recently demanded that the government fix an MSP for stubble and buy it from farmers.

The BJP-led Haryana government has maintained that farmers burning paddy residue won’t be allowed to sell their crops in ‘mandis’ (markets) during the next two seasons. It had also directed deputy commissioners and deputy directors of agriculture (DDAs) (except Narnaul) to mark a red entry in Meri Fasal Mera Byora (MFMB) of farmers involved in residue burning.