Despite a blanket ban by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on burning of crop residue, stubble burning is slowly picking up across Haryana and Punjab threatening to envelop Delhi in smog this year also. Delhi is worried as the city is to host matches of the U-17 FIFA World Cup in October and smog threat will hit the country’s image.
Officials of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said the Haryana Pollution Control Board has confirmed two reports of stubble burning while the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s web fire mapper is showing a few red dots scattered across the NCR and Punjab.
“Haryana started satellite monitoring of the region on September 22. Since then authorities have found two instances where farmers set paddy straw afire. The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) has been informed. Both the
stubble burning cases were found to be in Panipat. One more case was reported from Fatehabad but officials are yet to confirm whether it was a case of stubble burning,” said CPCB officials.
Moreover, the development has been reported at a time when both the Supreme Court appointed EPCA and NGT are monitoring crop residue burning in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Western UP on
regular basis due to high pollution levels.According to Agriculture Ministry, the burning of one tonne crop residue accounts for the loss of 5.5 kg nitrogen, 2.3 kg phosphorus, 25 kg potassium and 1.2 kg sulphur. Punjab will start satellite monitoring on October 1.
CPCB officials said the NASA’s red dots may not actually convey the right picture as it detects all forms of open burning. Stubble burning reaches its peak around October 20.
The issue had turned political last year with Delhi blaming Haryana and Punjab for failing to provide incentives to farmers to desist from burning paddy straw, which it claimed aggravated air pollution in the city, especially in the first week of November.
The EPCA headed by a retired bureaucrat Bhure Lal held a high level meeting with officials of four States to check steps taken by them on Tuesday. In fact, in another first, the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which lays down a series of anti-pollution measures, too will be implemented from October 15 till March 15, next year.
If the pollution situation remains grim, a host of emergency measures, like the closure of schools and introduction of odd-even system, too would be implemented. The Bhure Lal Committee has directed local bodies of Delhi, UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab to share action taken reports with it on a fortnightly basis.
It has batted for increased subsidy for purchase of equipment that eliminates the need for burning stubble and straw and recycling and reuse of this waste.
The crop residue burning is considered to be a major health hazard and is being dispirited for its immense pollution impact. The crop residue burning from the nearby States Haryana, western UP and Punjab increases the pollution levels over the region, especially Delhi, which is one of the worst polluted cities in the world.
In fact, last year after paddy was harvested in October, the residue was burnt to make the field favourable for wheat sowing.
