Smog in NCR: State not to blame, CS writes to Centre

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 14

Unwarranted criticism over stubble burning prompted the Haryana Government to emphatically refute these charges on Sunday, while stressing that the state was in no way responsible for the pollution resulting in deterioration of air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR).

In a letter to CK Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Haryana Chief Secretary DS Dhesi, quoting facts and figures, said stubble burning in Haryana was only confined to 0.3 per cent of the area where harvesting was over and that the number of incidents in districts adjoining Delhi were even less.

According to the information available, 28.12 lakh meteric tonnes of paddy had arrived in the mandis till date and harvesting was over in 5.62 lakh hectares. So far in Haryana, 875 incidents of fire had been reported and stubble had been burnt in 1,750 hectares, meaning thereby that fire incidents were restricted to only .3 per cent of the total area harvested. These figures, the letter maintained, were based on the reporting of fire incidents identified through satellite monitoring by HARSAC.

Sources said it was further specified that the number of incidents in the districts around Delhi were even fewer. While Palwal saw the highest instances of stubble burning, 26, Panipat had 14 such cases, followed by Sonepat with nine, Jhajjar with three and Faridabad with two cases.

The letter took note of the fact that the falling air quality was being attributed to Punjab and Haryana in the media and mentioned that this vilification of farmers was contrary to the facts since Haryana had successfully checked straw burning. It went on to explain that 871 custom hiring centres had been set up at a cost of Rs 102.54 crore and the Deputy Commissioners and the SDMs were actively involved in the campaign to prevent paddy straw burning.

While maintaining that the farmers, too, had taken to technology and understood the adverse impact of burning stubble, the government would continue its strict vigil and monitoring round the season through the district administrations, the letter added.

State’s claim 

• 28.12 lakh meteric tonnes of paddy had arrived in the mandis and harvesting was over in 5.62 lakh hectares. So far, 875 incidents of fire had been reported and stubble had been burnt in 1,750 hectares, meaning thereby that fire incidents were restricted to only .3 per cent of the total area harvested
• While Palwal saw the highest instances of stubble burning, 26, Panipat had 14 such cases, followed by Sonepat with nine, Jhajjar with three and Faridabad with two cases