New Delhi: Concerns about the impending arrival of winter in Delhi have been raised by the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) informing the Supreme Court that the number of paddy stubble burning cases in Punjab between September 15 and September 25 was 11 times higher than it was during the same 10-day period in the previous year, and five times higher in Haryana than it was during the same period in the previous year.
The Commission held an emergency review meeting on Thursday to assess the "alarmingly high incidences" of paddy stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana. Based on the data provided, there were 93 cases reported in Punjab, compared to just 8 in 2023, and 70 cases in Haryana, compared to 13 in 2023, Indian Express reported.
The Supreme Court bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih on Friday said, “We are of the view that though the Commission has taken certain steps, the Commission needs to be more active. The Commission must ensure that its efforts and directions issued actually translate into reducing the problem of pollution.”
Three districts with the highest fire counts in the two states have been identified by the Commission. Karnal, Kurukshetra, and Yamuna Nagar in Haryana, and Amritsar, Gurdaspur, and Tarn Taran in Punjab, are the districts with the highest fire counts. In Punjab, Amritsar alone was responsible for 58 of the 93 incidents.
Of the 70 cases reported in Haryana, 31 were reported from the Karnal district. The state governments were informed at the emergency review meeting, as were the Deputy Commissioners of the districts that had seen the greatest number of fires this year.
There was a strong emphasis on holding the supervisory and nodal officers responsible for different villages or blocks accountable, as stated by the Commission. The Punjab and Haryana chief secretaries were instructed by the Commission to submit a comprehensive action taken report and a specific report pertaining to the districts of Amritsar and Karnal by Saturday, following the observation of a spike. The directive came in the form of a letter on Wednesday.
“Taking a particular note of the alarmingly high incidences reported from the districts of Amritsar and Karnal in Punjab and Haryana respectively, as compared to the corresponding period of last year, the Commission has also sought a special report on these 2 districts within 3 days,” the Commission stated in a report submitted to the Supreme Court.
The high occurrences of stubble burning in Delhi's bordering states, particularly Punjab and Haryana, have been a source of concern for years due to the poor air quality it causes throughout the winter months (October to February).