Punjab, Haryana told to implement action plan on stubble burning

Tribune News Service

Patiala, October 11 

The Environment Protection Control Authority (EPCA), set up by the Supreme Court to save the environment in the country, has directed Punjab and Haryana to implement the action plan drafted for checking the burning the paddy straw.

Addressing officers of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh during a meeting at the UT guest house in Chandigarh recently, the Chairman of the authority, Bhure Lal, said effective steps must be taken to check the menace that was causing a substantial damage to the environment. 

He said both states must realise that pollution was affecting the people living in both states far more than that in Delhi. Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal said Punjab was serious about tackling this menace for which effective steps were being taken. 

He urged the authority to impress upon the Union Government to allocate funds liberally to the state for this purpose.     

On the occasion, Punjab Additional Chief Secretary NS Kalsi appraised the authority about the steps taken by the state government to discourage this trend amongst the farmers. He said the state government had initiated a special campaign for spreading awareness among the farmers about the 50 per cent subsidy  being given by the state government on the purchase of implements like happy seeder, rotavator and others.

Taking part in deliberations, the Chairman of the Punjab Pollution Control Board,  Manpreet Singh, informed the authority that the board had set up environment monitoring committees in every district besides embarking on a massive campaign through the social media to make people aware about the dangerous trend.

The Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agriculture University, Dr BS Dhillon, was also present on the occasion.