Reportedly the central panel monitoring Delhi’s air pollution swung into action on tuesday to tackle stubble burning by farmers in punjab and haryana, days after the supreme court rapped it for its failure to control this practice in the neighboring states. The Commission for air Quality Management (CAQM) has set up “flying squads” to monitor stubble, or crop residue, burning by farmers. Covering a total of 26 districts 16 in punjab and 10 in haryana these teams will work with state-level anti-pollution bodies.
Meanwhile the teams from the central pollution control board (CPCB) have been deployed at identified hotspot districts across both states for the next two months. These squads will assess the situation on the ground and give daily reports on the measures taken to prevent stubble burning in their districts. The 16 identified districts in punjab are: Amritsar, Barnala, Bathinda, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Firozpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Mansa, Moga, Muktsar, Patiala, Sangrur, and Tarn Taran. In haryana, these include Ambala, Fatehabad, Hisar, Jind, Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Sonipat, and Yamunanagar.
Moreover the CAQM said a ‘paddy stubble management cell’ will soon be set up at Mohali or chandigarh to enhance coordination during this critical period. punjab and haryana governments have formed comprehensive action plans to eliminate paddy stubble burning during the 2024 kharif season. The AAP leader said any violations after october 7 will lead to penalties with the repeat offenders facing a halt in construction. “People involved in any kind of construction work whether private, government or company-driven must ensure compliance with these rules”.
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