Will take legal steps if states don’t stop crop burning: Delhi
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Monday said it would be “compelled” to take legal recourse if its neighbouring states do not act immediately to stop stubble burning, one of the primary contributors to air pollution in the national Capital.
The warning came after Delhi’s air quality on Monday slipped back to the ‘poor category’. On Sunday, the air quality had improved to the moderate level with an index of 181 but on Monday it worsened to 246, data with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) stated.
An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor, and 401500 severe.
GOVT LOOKING AT TIME-BOUND ACTION
Taking cognisance of newspaper reports on the issue, the government said it was looking for time-bound action by respective agencies.
“In case effective steps to mitigate the menace of stubble burning are not initiated by the respective state governments, the Delhi government may be left with no other option but to knock the doors of appropriate courts of law to seek their intervention and seek directions for time-bound effective actions by the Centre and the state governments concerned,” the government said in a statement released on Monday.
Stubble burning is prevalent across Punjab and Haryana and in parts of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Delhi environment minister Imran Hussain said farmers in the neighbouring states are finding it more convenient and cheaper to pay fines for stubble burning, instead of availing of the measures needed to avoid the practice.
“NASA images have confirmed that agricultural waste/ stubble burning has begun in the neighbouring states of Delhi. “I have been consistently writing to the union minister of environment & forest and climate change to convene highlevel meetings with the chief ministers and environment ministers of neighbouring states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi in this regard,” the minister said.
The environment minister said despite this, incidents of stubble burning continue unabatedly.
“This is likely to further worsen the ambient air quality of the national Capital in the coming weeks when the festive season gets underway and the atmosphere also gets cooler due to approaching winter season,” he said.