Post SC rebuke, CAQM deploys flying squads to monitor stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana

New Delhi: Days after the Supreme Court rebuked the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for failing to curb stubble burning in states around Delhi and controlling the pollution in Delhi, it has deployed flying sqauds to monitor paddy stubble burning incidents during the paddy-harvesting season in the states of Punjab and Haryana. “Towards closer coordination of agencies and to intensify the monitoring actions towards prevention of paddy stubble burning incidents during the paddy-harvesting season in the States of Punjab and Haryana, the Flying Squads of CPCB, assisting CAQM, have been deployed to identify hotspot districts in Punjab and Haryana during 01.10.2024 to 30.11.2024, where paddy stubble burning incidences are generally higher,” said a statement on Tuesday.

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“Flying Squads so deployed will closely coordinate with the concerned authorities/ officers at the district level/ nodal officers appointed by the respective State Govt,” said the statement.

Flying squads to monitor stubble burning in 16 districts of Punjab, 10 in Haryana

The flying squads will be monitoring incidents of stubble burning in 16 districts of Punjab and 10 districts in Haryana. In Punjab, the list of these districts include, Amritsar, Barnala, Bathinda, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Firozpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Mansa, Moga, Muktsar, Patiala, Sangrur and Tarn Taran. In Haryana, flying squads have been deployed in Ambala, Fatehabad, Hisar, Jind, Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Sonipat and Yamunanagar.

“Flying Squads will assess the ground-level situation in close coordination with the authorities concerned and report to the Commission and CPCB on a daily basis, including the steps taken to prevent further incidents of paddy stubble burning in the allocated district,” said the statement.

The government said that the CAQM would soon be setting up a “Paddy Stubble Management” Cell at Mohali/ Chandigarh during the paddy-harvesting season to closely coordinate with the Agriculture Department and other concerned agencies in the state governments of Punjab and Haryana and flying squads will be deputed to various districts in these two states.

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