‘Ban on stubble burning not fully implemented’

With Delhi reeling under pollution, the government on Tuesday told Lok Sabha that enforcement of ban on paddy stubble burning in farmlands of Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh has not been fully implemented.

However, there is no conclusive study which says that burning of paddy straw crop residue “would always” impact quality of air in states like Delhi and Rajasthan, Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave said in a written reply.

“Available satellite images indicate that the enforcement of ban on 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,” he said.

Dave said 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.

“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,” MoS for Environment, Forest & Climate Change said.