40% of NCR pollution due to farm fires: Panel

New Delhi, November 15

Contrary to the Supreme Court’s observation that “stubble burning is not responsible for causing air pollution to that extent”, the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas has blamed it for about 35-40 per cent of total current pollution in the NCR.

“Post Diwali, there has been a spurt in the number of fire incidents owing to paddy stubble burning, particularly in Punjab where about 42,285 farm fires have been reported in the last 10 days alone, out of a cumulative fire count of 62,863 till November 13 this season,” the commission recorded in its November 14 meeting.

“Likewise, the instances of paddy stubble burning in Haryana have also witnessed an increase with respect to last year (with 5,400 incidents being reported in 2021 against a cumulative figure of 3,635 in the corresponding period in 2020)," it noted. The meeting chaired by commission chairman MM Kutty emphasised that "efforts needed to be intensified to control the instances of stubble burning to minimum, as currently the paddy stubble burning has been contributing about 35-40% of the total pollution load in Delhi-NCR".

Steps to be taken to tackle stubble burning, based on key components of the framework/action plan were discussed in a preparatory meeting with Delhi Chief Secretary on September 20, the Centre said in its affidavit. However, a three-judge Bench led by CJI NV Ramana, which on Monday asked the Centre to call an emergency meeting on Tuesday to deal with the situation, concluded that major contributors of air pollution in the NCR were construction activities, running of non-essential industries, transport and power plants on coal etc. — TNS