SC Criticises Air Quality Commission for Inaction on Stubble Burning

Supreme Court (SC) slammed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for not doing enough to stop stubble burning in the national capital region and adjoining areas. It further noted that the commission has made no efforts to implement its previous directives to prevent such incidents. 

The bench comprising of Justices Abhay S Oka, Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Augustine George Masih pointed out that the commission has only held meetings and did not take any penal actions against the offenders. 

The bench also pulled up Punjab and Haryana governments for not taking actions against the incidents of stubble burning. 

"The last meeting of the sub-committee [of CAQM on safeguarding and enforcement] was held on August 29, 2024 in which there is not even discussion of the implementation of directions. Though there is a specific direction in the order to prosecute wrong doers under section 15 of Environment Protection Act, not a single prosecution has been launched," the bench said. Only five out of 11 members were present in that meeting, it said. 

Between September 15 and September 30, 129 cases of stubble burning were detected in Punjab and 81 in Haryana. The apex court said that the states have only recovered nominal compensation from 40–45 farmers. 

It also questioned the efficiency of the sub-committee and highlighted the lack of representation from the pollution control board of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. 

The Season of Smog 

In the run up to the winter season, the city of Delhi is covered in smog owing to the large number of stubble burning incidents. Since there is little time gap between paddy harvest and wheat sowing, farmers prefer to burn the paddy crop residue to ready farm for wheat cultivation. The havoc created by farm fires pushes the city's air quality index (AQI) into a "severe" category.  

In the past few days, stubble burning incidents have surged in Delhi's neighbouring states. According to the data from Central Pollution Control Board, the AQI on September 30 at 4pm was 127.

(With inputs from PTI)