Reportedly the Centre updated air quality management rules on Thursday, increasing the penalty for stubble burning, effective immediately. The notification came after the supreme court pulled up the government for ‘toothless environmental laws’ to curb Delhi’s deteriorating air quality every winter. The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change amended the Commission for air Quality Management in National capital Region and Adjoining Areas (Imposition, Collection and Utilisation of Environmental Compensation for Stubble Burning) Rules, 2023.
Meanwhile the new rules authorise the CAQM to impose environmental compensation on farmers who are found burning paddy stubble, or there is evidence that stubble burning happened on their land. According to the notification, farmers having an area of land of less than two acres will pay an environmental compensation of Rs 5,000. However, the penalty has been increased to Rs 10,000 for farmers having an area of land of two acres or more but less than five acres, and to Rs 30,000 for farmers having an area of land of more than five acres. The revised rules come into effect immediately.
Earlier the supreme court rapped the center for not formulating strict rules to tackle the issue of stubble burning across North india and said the Environment Protection Act had become “toothless". The court said, “The Centre has not created any machinery and the Environment Protection Act has become toothless." The top court asked the Centre to notify new rules on punitive action against those engaging in stubble burning within 10 days.
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