Stubble burning: ‘Toothless’ PPCB seeks powers to act against errant farmers

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab pollution control board (PPCB) has decided to seek tougher directions and a policy decision from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to act against farmers who indulge in stubble burning.

Like the previous kharif (paddy) harvest seasons, the state agencies are anticipating incessant stubble burning this time too, which is expected to cause smog in the northern states, particularly the National Capital Region.

In 2019, 50,738 cases of stubble burning were reported in the kharif season while 2018 saw

59,684 cases. The state government is under tremendous pressure to control the menace as the NGT has asked the Punjab government to bring the cases down to zero.

“How would that be possible when there is no mechanism for recovering environment compensation imposed on farmers who indulge in stubble burning,” asked a PPCB official. According to the official, errant farmers are given challan chits but the matter ends there as most of them don’t deposit the penalty.

“Farmers don’t give penalty because law is silent on it, I have come to know that PPCB is moving NGT,” said secretary, agriculture, KS Pannu.

PPCB member secretary Krunesh Garg said, “In 2018, Rs 1.37 crore penalty was imposed on at least 4,800 farmers, out of which about Rs 20 lakh was recovered. Similarly in 2019, a penalty of Rs 6 crore was imposed on 23,000 farmers but only Rs 15 lakh could be recovered.”

“We have asked the department of science and technology to take up the matter with NGT so that a mechanism can be formulated in this regard,” he said.

Until last year, PPCB was recovering penalty and the amount was going into the board’s account. “We want the penalty to be deducted at the level of crop payment to the farmers,” said Garg. Ahead of the harvest season, expected to begin from October 1, the PPCB and the remote sensing centre have decided to run a joint operation to check stubble burning.