 "Rajasthan to seek Centre relief for crop damage")
Punjab's 20-Day 'crop stubble burning' is getting perilous. Delhi High Court was informed on Thursday that the crop scorching is yielding about 10,000 tonnes of particulate matter, including 9,000 tonnes of PM 2.5. PM2.5 are tiny particles in the air that reduce visibility and cause the air to appear hazy when levels are elevated.
According to a report in Indian Express, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) was directed by a bench of Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed and Justice Ashutosh Kumar to conduct a study on emission amount released by the burning. Around 14 million tonnes of paddy remnant had been burnt by farmers in Punjab between October and November 2016. This report reveals that each tonne of crop residue emits 0.74 kg of PM 10, which included 0.67 kg of PM 2.5.
“This is only Punjab, what about emissions from UP, Haryana, Rajasthan? Is there anything that can undo this accumulation of PM in the air?” asked the bench after the report was revealed.
Seeing the precarious impact, Delhi High Court has now asked the Punjab government to file a report on the steps being taken to halt crop burning. CPCB has been asked to create an action plan to diminish the pollutants. The bench has also asked the NCR Planning Board (NCRPB) to take the data collection as a representation. The NCRPB is expected to look into the issue of in NCR to mitigate pollution levels.
Meanwhile, Punjab government has already initiated sporadic measures to mitigate the growing pollution problem. Recently, it has tried banning agricultural waste burning and threatened to close down steel mill factories which have not installed air pollution control devices.
