Following a rap from the Supreme Court, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has empowered district authorities, including District Magistrates in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and NCR areas of Rajasthan, to take action against officials for inaction on stubble burning enforcement.
The CAQM order aimed to curb pollution due to stubble burning ahead of the winter authorises Deputy Commissioners, District Collectors, and District Magistrates to prosecute those neglecting their duties in addressing this critical issue.
It directs district administrations and state governments to intensify vigilance during the harvest season and has deployed 26 central teams to Punjab and Haryana. A dedicated paddy stubble management cell has also been established for coordinated action and monitoring, said the CAQM, a statutory body tasked with preparing strategies to curb air pollution in Delhi-NCR,.
The commission reported 267 stubble-burning incidents in Punjab and 187 in Haryana from September 15 to October 9.
The CAQM emphasized the need for constant vigilance and responsibility from district administrations during the harvest season.
"Taking into account the current situation and to ensure effective implementation of the action plans at the field level, the CAQM has authorised deputy commissioners/district collectors/district magistrates in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and NCR areas of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to file a complaint/prosecution before jurisdictional judicial magistrate in case of inaction in respect of officials, including nodal officers and supervisory officers and station house officers, responsible for effective enforcement towards ensuring elimination of paddy stubble burning in their respective jurisdiction," a statement said.
On September 27, a bench of the top court had criticised the commission for not taking penal action under Section 14 of the CAQM Act against stubble burning, highlighting that without such action, directives against farm fires would remain ineffective.
"If there is no penal action taken under Section 14, prohibitive directions against farm fires will remain only on paper," the Supreme Court had said.
The court had also observed that in three years the commission has issued only 82 directions. Section 14 states any non-compliance or contravention of any provisions of the Act, rules made there under or any order or direction issued by the commission, shall be an offence punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend up to five years or with fine which may extend up to Rs 1 crore or with both. In an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court, the commission had said that concentrated action by the Centre and state governments saw stubble burning incidents decrease by 49% from 71,304 in 2021 to 36,663 in 2023 in Punjab. During the same period Haryana saw the number of farm fires reduced from 6,987 to 2,303, it had said. The CAQM also directed the respective district administrations and the State Governments to shoulder higher responsibility and maintain constant and strict vigil to control any further paddy stubble burning in the harvesting season.
