Lok Sabha Question No. 2296 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-29
Subject: Pollution due to Burning of Paddy Stubble
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: JANAK RAM, JOSE K. MANI, RAM CHARITRA, KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH, DEVJI MANSINGRAM PATEL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2296

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.11.2016

## Pollution due to Burning of Paddy Stubble

2296.   SHRI JANAK RAM: SHRI JOSE K. MANI: SHRI RAM CHARITRA NISHAD: SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH: SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a)   whether the Government is aware of burning of paddy stubble/crop residue in States like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar etc. thereby leading to high air pollution level at the onset of winter in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR);
- (b)   if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (c)   whether the Delhi High Court has given any directive in this regard and if so, the details thereof and the reasons for noncompliance of the Court's directive by the said States;
- (d)  whether  NASA's  web  fire  mapper  has  indicated  that  smoldering  fire  have  increased exponentially over Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh recently; and
- (e) if  so,  the  corrective  steps  taken  by  the  Government  and  the  Central  Pollution  Control Board  (CPCB)  to  curb  the  burning  of  paddy  stubble/crops  residue  and  check  the pollution level in Delhi and NCR?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

- (a) There is no conclusive study available that burning of paddy straw crop residue in the States  like  Punjab  and  Haryana  would  always  impact  quality  of  air  in  the  States/UT  like Rajasthan, Delhi etc.  As per the Report of IIT, Kanpur, the back trajectory analyses suggest that the Crop Residue Burning and other biomass emissions may be transported to Delhi from the sources upwind of Delhi.
- (b)  Burning  of  paddy  stubble  has  been  banned  in  Punjab,  Haryana,  Uttar  Pradesh  and Rajasthan.
- (c)  Delhi  High  Court  has  assigned  the  responsibility  of  prevention  of  stubble  burning  and biomass on the Chief Secretaries of the concerned State Governments. The State Governments have initiated steps for compliance.
- (d)  Available satellite images indicate that the enforcement of ban on paddy stubble burning in farmlands of Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh has not been fully implemented and  there  has  been  significant  level  of  stubble  burning.    The  incidents  of  stubble  burning increase  during  the  post  harvesting  period  as  farmers  prepare  their  fields  for  next  sowing season.
- (e)  Government  has  been  monitoring  various  preventive  measures  to  curb  the  burning  of paddy  stubble/crops  residue  and  check  the  pollution  level  in  Delhi  and  NCR  at  regular intervals.  Hon'ble  Minister  of  Environment  Forest  and  Climate  Change,  convened  six meetings on 6 th April, 2015, 13 th April, 2015, 24 th July, 2015, 6 th November, 2015, 27 th April, 2016  and  7 th November,  2016  with  Environment  Ministers  and  senior  officers  of  NCR States/UT of Delhi. Four Secretary level meetings were held on 10 th November, 2014, 11 th February,  2015  and  3 rd March,  2015  and  4 th November,  2016.  Apart  from  this,  regular meetings  are  being  held  under  the  Chairmanship  of  Chairman,  Central  Pollution  Control Board (CPCB). The implementation of air pollution control measures is an on-going process. Violations relating to stubble burning have been reported from States and State Governments have  been  requested  to  enforce  ban  relating  to  burning  of  stubble  during  various  review meetings.  CPCB has issued comprehensive directions including control of stubble  burning under Section 18(1)(b) of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 on 29.12.2015 to NCR States / NCT of Delhi for prohibiting or restricting the open burning of straw.

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