Paddy stubble burning remains a significant issue, particularly in the NCR, contributing to deteriorating air quality. The Centre’s Commission of Air Quality Management (CAQM) has directed district magistrates to initiate legal proceedings against officials who fail to enforce stubble-burning restrictions in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and the NCR regions of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. This step is part of the CAQM’s intensified efforts to curb the practice of paddy stubble burning, which significantly contributes to air pollution, particularly during the harvest season.
Delhi-NCR reported 267 stubble burning cases were reported in Punjab and 187 in Haryana between September 15 and October 9, 2024.
Commission of Air Quality Management (CAQM)
This underscores the ongoing challenge of stubble burning, which has a severe impact on air quality in the region. The CAQM a statutory body tasked with developing strategies to tackle air pollution.
The commission has directed the deputy commissioners/ district collectors/ district magistrates in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and NCR areas to file a complaint/ prosecution against officials who fail to enforce measures against stubble burning their respective jurisdiction, under Section 14 of the CAQM Act 2021. And the local officials accountable for failing to control stubble burning, as well as contributors to the air quality crisis in the regions.
The commission has also instructed the district administrations and state governments to maintain vigilance throughout the paddy harvest season to control stubble-burning incidents. And have deployed 26 central teams to work closely with local authorities, helping them optimize the use of all available resources. Especially ‘Paddy Stubble Management Cell’ is established in Chandigarh to monitor and coordinate these efforts, ensuring continuous oversight of field-level actions aimed at reducing stubble burning.
(Input From Various Sources)
(Rehash/Josna Lewis/MSM)
