The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Wednesday doubled the fine on stubble burning in Delhi and adjoining areas in view of the fast-plummeting air quality in the region. The ministry also notified new rules under the Act for filing complaints, holding an inquiry, and laying down the adjudication process against environmental pollution.
This came after the Supreme Court termed the Environment Protection Act (EPA), 1986, and the small fines for stubble burning as “toothless” and pulled up the authorities for inaction. The apex court had also expressed displeasure over the selective and inadequate action to recover environmental compensation for burning paddy stubble. “Unless proper exercise of power under Section 15 of the Act is made, there cannot be any effective action against the wrongdoers. We expect the Government to take action within two weeks from today,” the bench said in an order.
The new rules mandate that farmers having land of less than two acres shall pay an environmental compensation of Rs 5,000, while the fine will be Rs 10,000 for farmers having land of two acres or more but less than five acres. Farmers having land of more than five acres shall pay an environmental compensation of Rs 30,000. Earlier, the compensation imposed on farmers with less than two acres of land holding was Rs 2,500, Rs 5,000 for those with two to five acres and Rs 15,000 for those with more than five acres for burning stubble.
The Centre notified the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (Imposition, Collection and Utilisation of Environmental Compensation for Stubble Burning) Amendment Rules, 2024, for doubling of environmental compensation imposed against stubble burning. The amended rules were notified under the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021, and will come into effect immediately, without a draft being placed in the public domain for public consultation, Indian Express reported.
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The air quality in Delhi-NCR remained ‘very poor’ on Thursday, approaching ‘severe’ levels in multiple areas, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city recorded at 367, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Several areas in Delhi exceeded the 400 AQI mark, which falls under the ‘severe’ category.
Meanwhile, AQI levels in Haryana’s Faridabad and Gurugram and Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, and Noida areas ranged between 252 and 313, also reflecting poor air quality levels.