‘Develop eco-friendly farming practices’

New Delhi, Aug. 13: The Delhi high court directed the Centre to develop environment-friendly farming practices so as to reduce stubble burning, a major cause of air pollution in the capital during autumn and winter months.

A bench of justices S. Ravindra Bhat and S.P. Garg issued these directions to the ministries of environment, science and technology, and agriculture asking them to coordinate with educational or technical institutions, if feasible.

The court also asked the Centre to explore the possibility of creating a fund for innovation in farming techniques.

It told the secretaries of the three ministries to hold a meeting on this aspect and file a report of the proposals discussed on the way forward including the Centre's views.

However, the court left it to the Centre to decide if it was necessary to create a fund.

The high court order came last month while hearing a PIL initiated by it on rising air pollution in Delhi. It also issued directions to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and the Delhi governments to file status reports every alternate month on steps taken for creating awareness among farmers and agricultural workers against the ills of stubble-burning.

The states should inform the court about the progress achieved by them with regard to stopping practice of burning the crop residue. The court will take up the matter on August 29.