Green bench to hear steps taken by Centre, state to check burning of crop residue

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday said that it would consider later in October the steps taken by the Centre and the Punjab and Haryana governments to check the burning of crop residue by farmers to curb air pollution.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar deferred the matter for hearing on October 30, after lawyers appearing for both the parties sought adjournment of the case.

Read : Farmers in Punjab burn stubble in protest, demand subsidy as compensation

The green panel had earlier said "we expect no individual, body, department, panchayat, associations to directly or indirectly recommend or promote burning of crop residues in Punjab, UP and Haryana."

In its last hearing, the green panel had termed the issue of stubble burning by farmers as “serious.” It had sought the response it of the Centre as well as the Punjab and Haryana governments on the issue.

It had warned the governments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan that it would stop the payment of salaries of government officials if they failed to come up with an action plan to prevent stubble burning, which triggers heavy pollution in Delhi-NCR.

The NGT had earlier asked for names and details of all power houses and biomass-based energy plants which can use crop residue for power generation and had directed the Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab governments to provide a detailed strategy of how happy seeders (machines to sow wheat without burning of paddy crop residue) or balers can be given to farmers.

The tribunal had also sought a reply from the National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) as to why it cannot take the stubble from the farmers under its corporate social responsibility programme for the "general cause of environment".

The tribunal had taken exception to the fact that even after more than two years, nothing substantial has been done with regard to stubble burning.

Earlier, the NGT had also asked Punjab to look into the problems faced by the farmers and directed its counsel to seek instructions on whether compensation could be provided to them for disposing their agricultural residue while giving them liberty to engage any agency of their choice.

In its response, the Punjab government said that it had provided assistance to some of the farmers so that they do not burn the crop residue. However, the farmers did not follow the norms despite the assistance. The NGT had therefore, on October 11 directed Punjab to produce those farmers before it.

The Punjab government had stated that it had taken Kalar Majri village in Nabha Tehsil of Patiala district as a model project for implementing the directions of the NGT and to sensitise the farmers.