NGT directs DMs to form special teams

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, April 10

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the district magistrates of five states, including Haryana and Punjab, to constitute special teams to conduct inspection to ensure there was no burning of wheat stubble in their respective jurisdictions.

“This shall be done on regular intervals and inspection reports should be submitted to the respective Pollution Control Boards which in turn would provide comparative statement based on these inspections and air quality samples to the Tribunal,” Justice Swatanter Kumar, Chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) said in a recently delivered order.

The NGT order further said, “All district administrative officers including District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police, officers of the regional office of the Pollution Control Boards and the Environmental Department of the districts including corporations, municipalities would be responsible for carrying out these directions in their true spirit and substance without default.”

Despite strictness by the state governments, burning of wheat and paddy stubble is a common practice in Haryana and Punjab. The Haryana government has stated on record before the NGT that cases against 32 defaulting farmers were pending before the courts under the Act of 1986.

On the contrary, farmers blame the practice on shortage of labour. “The combine harvesting technique leaves behind large quantities of straw in the field. Labour shortage makes it difficult to plough the fields forcing us to burn it,” said a farmer.

However, Dr Aditya Pratap Dabas, deputy director, Agriculture, said, “The farmers can use happy seeder machine that mixes the residues in the soil so the farmers can sow the next crop easily.”

Sanjeev Bhudhiraja, regional officer, Haryana State Pollution Control Board, said farmer found burning the crop residue would be penalised and prosecuted, too.