Stubble burning due to failure of 4 states; farmers are forced to burn crop residue: NHRC

Ravi S Singh

New Delhi, November 12

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) heard the Chief Secretaries of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh in connection with unabated air pollution in Delhi-NCR, and has asked them to appear before it again in the matter on November 18.

In a communiqué, the Commission informed today that the hearing was held on Thursday.

After considering the responses of the states concerned and the Government of NCT of Delhi, the commission has expressed the view that the farmers are burning stubble under compulsion.

The commission said the state governments have to provide harvest machines to get rid of stubble but they have failed to provide an adequate number of requisite machines and other measures.

Consequently, farmers are forced to burn the stubbles, causing pollution.

Therefore, none of the states can blame the farmers for stubble burning; instead, it is due to the failure of all four state governments that the stubble burning is happening in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and UP causing air pollution.

During the hearing Delhi government said out of 5,000 acres of farmland, bio-decomposer was sprinkled free of cost by it on about 2,368 acres of paddy till October 11.

It provided details of mobile and static anti-smog guns deployed in various roads, with date and places and on high rise buildings.

Haryana government said the hotspots are being identified in the villages and steps taken to remove them.

It added that steps are being taken for stoppage of construction activities.

The Punjab government said compared to 2021, CRM machines available for utilisation in the current year are 10,5310. There is an increase of only 14,888 machines whereas as per report, purchase of 30,000 machines during the current year 2022 has been sanctioned.