Air Pollution: Long Term Impact Of Growing Paddy Could Be Disastrous, Says Supreme Court
Despite various assurances, the court noted that the trend of setting the farms on fire has not come down.
Why should the farmers who are still setting farms on fire receive the minimum support price for their paddy, the Supreme Court observed on Tuesday while dealing with the issue of air pollution around the National Capital Region.
Something must be done to deter people from violating the norms, the court said.
Despite various assurances provided by Punjab regarding the steps taken to curb air pollution in the state, the trend of setting the farms on fire has not come down, the court said.
Punjab should take a cue from states like Haryana, which have managed to deal with the problem of stubble burning much more efficiently, it said.
The court reiterated that the aspect of discouraging the growth of rice in Punjab must be looked into, as the long-term impacts of growing paddy in the state could be disastrous.
It also directed the governments of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh to file a status report regarding the open burning of municipal waste, as it is one of the leading factors in air pollution.
Further, the court rapped the Delhi government for not paying its dues towards the Regional Rapid Transport System, despite giving an undertaking in July to do the same.
Noting that the project is vital to curbing air pollution in Delhi, the court said that the funds from its advertising budget will be attached if it fails to discharge its dues towards the project within a week's time.
The case will now come up for hearing on Nov. 28.