The Supreme Court (SC) has reprimanded the state governments of Punjab and Haryana for their ineffective response to paddy stubble burning, which significantly contributes to air pollution in Delhi. Court highlighted that the states were only collecting minimal compensation from farmers engaged in this practice.
The apex court also criticized the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for failing to take action against stubble burning in the vicinity of the national capital. The SC noted that the CAQM had not made any substantial efforts to implement its directives aimed at preventing stubble burning incidents.
The court pointed out that during a meeting on August 29 to discuss air pollution, only five out of eleven members of the CAQM attended, and the SC’s directives were not even addressed.
The bench, comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih, observed that the CAQM had yet to initiate a single prosecution against cases related to stubble burning, as they reviewed the compliance report submitted by the commission.
In its latest order, the court mandated the Centre and the CAQM to submit affidavits within a week and scheduled a follow-up hearing for October 16.
During a prior hearing on September 27, the SC had similarly criticized the CAQM for its lack of action to combat air pollution in Delhi, urging the commission to be more proactive in utilizing its powers under the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021.
“There has been total non-compliance with the Act. Please provide us with a single directive issued to any stakeholder under the Act. Although the commission has made some efforts, it must be more active and ensure that its directives lead to a tangible reduction in pollution levels,” the bench stated.
The court instructed the CAQM to ensure that the equipment provided by the Centre to help farmers manage paddy stubble is effectively utilized. The Centre informed the court about the advisories and guidelines issued to control stubble burning, to which the bench responded, “It is all in the air; nothing has been demonstrated regarding what has been done in the National Capital Region (NCR) states.”
The court also noted the insufficient staffing on state pollution control boards, raising concerns about how these agencies would effectively address pollution and stubble burning as winter approaches. The bench observed that the sub-committee under the CAQM responsible for safeguarding and enforcement would remain ineffective without adequate representation from the pollution control boards of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. It directed these five NCR states to urgently fill vacant positions, ideally by April 30, 2025.
