Air quality panel launches flying squads to tackle stubble burning following Supreme Court's criticism

Supreme Court: In an effort to tackle stubble burning during the paddy harvesting season, the Centre's Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) announced on Tuesday, October 1, the deployment of flying squads across Punjab and Haryana. The initiative targets 16 districts in Punjab and 10 in Haryana, aiming to curb the harmful practice that contributes to severe air pollution in the region. The CAQM also revealed plans to establish a 'Paddy Stubble Management Cell' at Mohali/Chandigarh to enhance coordination between stakeholders during this critical period.

State-level action plans to combat pollution

Responding to concerns raised by the Supreme Court regarding the effectiveness of the CAQM's interventions, both Punjab and Haryana have developed comprehensive action plans to eliminate paddy stubble burning for the 2024 Kharif season. As part of these efforts, flying squads from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will be active in identified hotspot districts for the next two months.

Flying squads to strengthen monitoring

The CAQM confirmed that these flying squads will work in close collaboration with district-level authorities and nodal officers appointed by the state governments. The teams will assess ground conditions and report their findings to the Commission and the CPCB daily, providing updates on the measures being implemented to curb stubble burning.

Affected districts in Punjab and Haryana

In Punjab, the affected districts include Amritsar, Barnala, Bathinda, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Firozpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Mansa, Moga, Muktsar, Patiala, Sangrur, and Tarn Taran. Meanwhile, in Haryana, the squads will monitor Ambala, Fatehabad, Hisar, Jind, Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Sonipat, and Yamunanagar.