New Delhi: The government has doubled the fine for burning stubble by farmers to prevent deterioration of air quality and pollution.
The cumulative paddy residue burning reports show a 68 per cent decline for the period from November 6 to 27 in 2024 as compared to 2023, as per Lok Sabha data.
Expressing his views on stubble burning issue, Rakesh Kumar, a Horticulture expert, told ETV Bharat, “Farmers need concrete solutions to dispose of stubbles, increasing the amount of fines would not help to stop stubble burning issues.”
Echoing similar sentiments, a farmer of Haryana Amarjeet Singh Mohri told ETV Bharat, “Increasing fine amounts will not impact this issue. Government should provide facilities to small farmers for disposal of stubble because its management is a costly affair for such farmers. Modern machine operators often avoid cutting paddy and make bundles on small farm fields, following which they always face problems.”
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in the notification of November 6, has amended the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (Imposition, Collection and Utilization of Environmental Compensation for Stubble Burning) Rules, 2023 and has issued the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (Imposition, Collection and Utilization of Environmental Compensation for Stubble Burning) Amendment Rules, 2024.