Nearly 52% reduction in fire counts in the current year compared to the corresponding period of last year.

Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) intensively pursuing with State Government Officials of Haryana, Punjab, and U.P. for strict implementation of Framework and Action Plan CAQM has been monitoring paddy residue burning events for the current year for NCR and Adjoining Areas during this paddy harvesting season i.e. from 15th September onwards Enforcement agencies have so far inspected 8,575 of the total reported sites in Punjab, Haryana, and NCR Districts of U.P and Environmental Compensation (EC) of about Rs. 58,05,000 has been imposed so far

To curb and abate air pollution from stubble burning, the Commission had prepared a detailed Framework and pursuant to that Action Plans have been finalized by Government of Punjab, NCR State Governments and GNCT of Delhi.

During the current paddy harvesting season, the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) has been actively monitoring paddy residue burning events for the last one and a half month i.e. from 15th September 2021 onwards in the states of Punjab, Haryana and NCR Districts of Uttar Pradesh & Rajasthan and NCT of Delhi.

Concerted efforts are being taken by the State Governments, Departments and various other Stakeholders towards better in-situ management of crop residue through the use of CRM machinery, PUSA bio-decomposers and facilitating various options for ex-situ utilization of paddy straw, besides large number of IEC activities, educational campaigns, awareness camps and publicity through print, electronic and social media.

As a result of the foregoing report and as per the reports based on the protocol framed by ISRO for the Commission, total active paddy residue burning events in Punjab, Haryana, NCR districts of U.P & Rajasthan and NCT of Delhi have come down from 43,918 in 2020 to 21,364 in 2021 during the period from 15^th September to 02^nd November i.e. a reduction of 51.35% in the current year compared to the corresponding period of last year.

During the last one week i.e. from 27^th October up till 02^nd November, as against 23,628 cases in 2020, the corresponding period in 2021 has witnessed only 12,853 active cases, thus exhibiting a reduction of 10,775 cases (about 45.6%)

The major hotspots of paddy residue burning in the state of Punjab are Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Firozpur, Patiala, Ludhiana and Kapurthala. Similarly, the major hotspots in Haryana are Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Fatehabad, Ambala and Jind.

8,575 fields where stubble burning was reported, have so far been inspected by the state enforcement agencies and officials of the respective states and Environmental Compensation (EC) of about Rs. 58,05,000 has been imposed.

The Commission is regularly taking up with the State Governments of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to ensure stricter implementation of the Action Plan and the Framework to curb paddy residue burning. Harvesting is on its peak and the State Governments are taking steps as per the Plan of Action to improve the efficacy of enforcement and implementation to effectively tackle the problem of stubble burning.

CAQM has also held a meeting of the Commission on 2^ndNovember, 2021 with special focus on effective implementation of the Framework and Action Plan by State Governments of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

 

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GK

(Release ID :226316)

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