Supreme Court Demands Action on Stubble Burning in Punjab and Haryana

The Supreme Court has instructed Punjab and Haryana to report on measures against stubble burning, a key cause of Delhi-NCR's pollution. The court will review air pollution next week amid calls for stricter measures, highlighting issues of false air quality data and continued stubble burning violations.

The Supreme Court directed the Punjab and Haryana governments to submit reports detailing their efforts to tackle the persistent issue of stubble burning, a significant contributor to air pollution in the Delhi-NCR area. The directive was issued by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran.

An advocate highlighted to the bench that while the Commission for Air Quality Management (CQAM) has implemented GRAP-III, the severity of pollution necessitates the enforcement of GRAP-IV. With the Air Quality Index surging past 450 in certain zones, ongoing construction activities, even within the Supreme Court premises, were pointed out as issues of concern.

A separate counsel raised the alarm over inaccurate data from air monitoring stations, arguing that misleading information poses a significant challenge. The Supreme Court plans to reconvene next week to continue addressing the air quality predicament in Delhi-NCR.

(With inputs from agencies.)