Maintaining that stubble burning is not responsible for air pollution in Delhi, the Agriculture Ministry has asked States to identify causes for the rising pollution and take measures.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday asked State Governments of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab to identify other causes for the rising pollution as crop residue burning is not responsible factor to air pollution.
The Minister maintained that incidents of stubble burning have fallen after the launch of a central scheme to buy farm machinery to switch to cleaner methods of getting rid of the crop residue. In the current fiscal, the Centre has released Rs248 crore, Rs175 crore and Rs97.54 crore to Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, respectively, under the scheme. Last year, it has released Rs575 crore to them. Delhi-NCR has been engulfed in a thick blanket of smog since the Diwali festival on October 27.
Speaking on the sidelines after laying the foundation stone for the construction of Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB) in Pusa Complex, the Tomar said that Stubble burning alone is not responsible for pollution. “To address this issue, the Modi Government has launched a scheme under which farmers of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi are being provided subsidy to buy farm machinery to switch to cleaner to stop stubble burning,” the Minister said. Machines are being provided in villages and “there has been reduction in stubble burning. Its contribution to pollution has also come down,” he said and urged the neighbouring State Governments to create more awareness among farmers and implement the central scheme.
“I have written to the State Chief Ministers for proper implementation of the scheme. I hope State Governments will do,” he added.
When asked farmers are being held responsible for pollution in Delhi, Tomar said: “Neither one person nor one class is responsible for pollution. To get rid of pollution, everyone should think and work seriously.”
There is a need for the State Governments to take measures to contain pollution. “In this direction, all are trying but unfortunately the problem still remains,” he added.
On the Punjab Chief Minister’s demand to incentivise farmers to stop stubble burning, Tomar said, “I don’t agree with what Captain Amrinder (Singh) says. The whole world knows what happens if subsidy is given unless there is no solution for stubble clearance.”
The Central Government is giving subsidy to buy farm machinery under a scheme. If the Punjab Governments thinks subsidy will help in reducing stubble burning, let the state government implement it in one or two places and show the success, he said.