Farm fires: Curbing pollution demands more than policing
The Tribune Editorial: Subsidised machinery for stubble management, though distributed, is often expensive to operate and difficult to access for small landholders.
WITH the paddy harvest season underway, Punjab once again finds itself at the centre of the farm fire crisis. Despite the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) deploying over 10,000 field staff and the government’s mass outreach campaigns, the spectre of stubble burning remains. The Supreme Court’s stern observations on pollution add urgency, but the question persists: are current measures enough? On the face of it, there is progress. Farm fires in Punjab have declined over the past few years and the state has targeted an ambitious 80–85 per cent reduction. FIRs have been lodged against violators, environmental fines imposed and flying squads dispatched to vulnerable districts. The administration hopes these deterrents, coupled with awareness campaigns, will keep incidents low.
