New Delhi: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is making special efforts to prevent stubble burning in Haryana and Punjab. It has deployed 26 central teams in hotspot districts of both states. These teams will be in touch with the district administration. So that after harvesting paddy, better disposal can be done through available resources without burning the stubble.

According to CAQM, the stubble will have to be disposed of on the field itself or taken to some other place and managed. Apart from this, a paddy stubble management cell will be formed in Chandigarh to monitor and coordinate the prevention of incidents of stubble burning.

There were 454 incidents of stubble burning

According to the CAQM, there have been 454 incidents of stubble burning between September 15 and October 9. Of these, 267 incidents have occurred in Punjab and 187 in Haryana. In view of this, under Section 14 (2) of the Air Quality Management Act 2021 in the national capital and its adjoining areas, the CAQM has empowered all district officials of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi to take legal action against those burning stubble.

If stubble is burnt then strict action will be taken against the culprit

CAQM told the District Deputy Commissioner, District Collector and District Magistrate that if stubble is burnt anywhere, strict action should be taken by filing an FIR against the culprit. CAQM instructed the concerned state governments and district administration that the responsibility of preventing incidents of stubble burning lies heavily on their shoulders. Therefore, keep a strict vigil.

The process of burning stubble begins as the day ends

As the day ends, the process of burning paddy straw begins. The air is getting polluted due to the smoke coming out of the burning straw. Due to which people are having trouble breathing in the polluted air. When the day passes out in the countryside, a fog-like situation is created due to the smoke from burning straw.

From the district to the village, the officials launched an awareness campaign to not burn paddy stubble, in which the officials also made the farmers aware of the damage caused by burning paddy stubble. Even after this, if any farmer was caught burning paddy stubble, he was also informed about the action to be taken against him.

Asked to completely eliminate incidents of stubble burning

According to the information, the CAQM on Thursday granted special powers to all district officials of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi under Section 14 (2) of the Air Quality Management Act 2021 in the National Capital and adjoining areas. In the instructions issued by the Commission's Member Secretary Arvind Nautiyal to the Chief Secretaries of the said states, it has been asked to completely eliminate the incidents of stubble burning.