Even because the air high quality within the Delhi-NCR area hit the ‘extreme’ mark, sources within the atmosphere ministry stated burning of paddy residue in Punjab noticed 33.5% within the final one month in comparison with the identical interval final yr. improve was noticed.
As per commonplace ISRO protocol, for the interval September 15 to October 28, a complete of 10,214 crop residue burning instances had been reported in Punjab, as in opposition to 7,648 in the identical interval final yr. Of the ten,214 stubble burning instances to date, 7,100, or 69% of the entire, had been reported prior to now week alone.
The Air Quality Management Commission (CAQM) held an emergency assembly on Saturday in mild of the deteriorating air high quality and introduced the implementation of Stage III Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in your entire NCR area.
CAQM chairperson MM Kutty has additionally written to the Punjab Chief Secretary requesting quick motion to cease the hearth within the fields and a complete motion taken report in all of the reported instances. The Speaker stated that the ineffective implementation of the statutory directions issued by the CAQM is a matter of concern. Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav also can take up this matter with Punjab.
The ministry has revealed that until October 24, solely about 45-50% of the world sown in Punjab has been harvested. “The contribution of stubble burning to the adverse air quality scenario in Delhi-NCR is currently 18-20% and is likely to increase,” sources stated.
In Punjab this paddy harvesting season, about 71% of area fires have been reported from seven districts – Amritsar, Sangrur, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Patiala and Tarn Taran.
Haryana, UP fare higher
According to the Environment Ministry, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have performed properly in controlling the hearth within the area. Haryana has diminished stubble fires by 1,701 (September 15 to October 28) as in comparison with 2,252 instances in the identical interval final yr – a decline of 24.5%. In NCR districts of UP too, the variety of farm fires has come down from 43 to 30 throughout the identical interval in 2021. The ministry had termed the three days round Diwali as one of the best of the final seven days this yr. yr, which consultants attributed to favorable wind circumstances.
Over the previous two months, the CAQM has held common conferences with officers from the neighboring states of NCR, together with Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, and has been monitoring the scenario of stubble burning in addition to issuing instructions.
Under the instructions of CAQM, a complete motion plan was ready by the Punjab Government which included crop diversification, in-situ crop residue administration, bio-decomposer software, ex-situ crop residue administration, consciousness marketing campaign and monitoring and enforcement.
The Center has stated that it has supplied Rs 1,347 crore to Punjab beneath the Crop Residue Management (CRM) scheme within the final 5 years.
“The utilization of machinery, however, has been very poor and a large number of machines remain unutilised, a serious drain on resources,” the sources stated.
The ministry additional alleged that regardless of the success of utilizing bio-decomposers in UP and Delhi for in-situ administration, the machines weren’t deployed in Punjab. Sufficient straw has not been used as fodder for ex-situ administration and consciousness campaigns by the state haven’t been efficient. Ministry officers stated extra incidents of burning of stays are additionally a sign of failures in monitoring and enforcement.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
