Rs 1.47-cr fine collected from Punjab, Haryana farmers for stubble burning

New Delhi: An environmental compensation of over Rs 1.47 crore has been collected from farmers for burning stubble in Punjab and Haryana until November 30, the government informed Parliament on Thursday.

Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh told the Rajya Sabha that to curb paddy residue burning, officials inspected 10,791 agricultural fields in Punjab and 1,406 in Haryana, imposing penalties in 5,525 and 638 cases, respectively.

The cumulative amount of environmental compensation imposed in Punjab is Rs 2,16,97,500 and in Haryana, it is Rs 21,12,500.

In view of the Supreme Court's tough stance on the issue due to the deteriorating air quality in the Delhi-NCR region, the Centre last month doubled the fine for farmers burning crop residue, increasing the penalty to Rs 30,000 for those with more than five acres of farmland.

Farmers with less than two acres of land will now pay an environmental compensation of Rs 5,000, up from Rs 2,500, while those with land between two and five acres will be fined Rs 10,000 instead of Rs 5,000.

A top Union environment ministry official told parliamentarians on Wednesday that stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is among the main reasons for air pollution in Delhi-NCR and several steps are being taken to encourage farmers to use paddy residue for animal feed and industrial purposes.

According to a Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) analysis, the city experiences peak pollution from November 1 to 15, coinciding with a rise in stubble-burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana.

The major factors behind stubble burning include the paddy-wheat cropping system, cultivation of long-duration paddy varieties, mechanised harvesting that leaves standing crop stubble, labour scarcity, and the lack of a viable market for crop residue.

Studies estimate that, during peak burning periods, farm fires contribute up to 30 per cent of PM levels in the Delhi-NCR region and surrounding areas.

Data presented in Parliament on Thursday also showed that Bihar's Begusarai and Rajasthan's Hanumangarh recorded more days with AQI above 400 compared to the national capital last year.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an air quality index above 400 indicates severely polluted air that can adversely affect human health.

Kirti Vardhan Singh told the Upper House on Thursday that the CPCB monitored air quality in 280 cities in 2023, of which 46 experienced a few days with AQI over 400.

He also said that no conclusive data is available to establish a direct correlation between deaths and air pollution, adding it is one of the many factors contributing to respiratory ailments and associated diseases.

The minister shared that Bihar's Begusarai recorded 30 days of AQI above 400 in 2023, while Rajasthan's Hanumangarh saw 16 such days, compared to Delhi's 15.

Other cities recording more than 10 days of AQI above 400 included Greater Noida (13), Bihar's Purnia (13) and Katihar (11), Haryana's Faridabad (11), and Byrnihat in Assam (10).