Pb officials rope in kin to check practice

Bathinda: Amid mounting pressure to curb the burning of crop residue and protect air quality, top officials in Muktsar have enlisted their own families in a campaign of urging farmers to stop setting fire to their fields.
Deputy commissioner Rajesh Tripathi and senior superintendent of police Tushar Gupta have taken an unconventional approach of involving their wives in the awareness efforts, sending out a strong message about the seriousness of the issue.DC’s wife, Nishtha Tripathi, a professor of history at Mohali’s Govt College, and SSP’s wife, Srishti Gupta, a senior professional in a multinational company, on Saturday visited govt schools of the rural areas to encourage students to persuade their parents against burning crop stubble, explaining to them its harmful impact on soil health and the environment.
Both stressed that protecting the environment was a collective responsibility. The DC and the SSP also visited villages such as Thandewala, Surewala, Harike Kalan, Kaniawali, Gulabewala, and Rodawala.TNN