Stubble burning: SC asks CAQM to hold meet with Punjab, Haryana, UP

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan asked CAQM to consult the states, form its own recommendations, and submit them by March 17.

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to meet with the Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments to discuss action plans for tackling stubble burning.

The court also addressed the issue of support for daily wagers affected by construction bans, noting that Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana had failed to comply with its previous directives. (HT File)

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan asked CAQM to consult the states, form its own recommendations, and submit them by March 17.

Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, representing Punjab, stressed the need to convince farmers that crop diversification is viable. He pointed out that while paddy enjoys assured procurement by the Food Corporation of India, other crops like maize lack such policies.

Punjab advocate general Gurminder Singh reiterated the state’s commitment to curbing stubble burning but urged the court to consider other pollution sources in Delhi. He cited data showing Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) remained at 400 even after farm fires ended on November 15.

The court also addressed the issue of support for daily wagers affected by construction bans, noting that Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana had failed to comply with its previous directives. It ordered the chief secretaries of these states to attend the next hearing via video conferencing.

Earlier, the court criticised Punjab and Haryana for slow action on stubble burning and called for a long-term solution, including real-time monitoring. It directed the Centre and CAQM to use geostationary satellites, rather than NASA’s polar-orbiting ones, for continuous tracking.

The Centre had previously opposed forming a committee of former Supreme Court judges to oversee anti-pollution measures.