Experts meet auto drivers to discuss shift to electric autos in Amritsar
Titled ‘Unpacking the Challenges and Opportunities of Electric Autos’ the group held a thorough discussion on the city’s rising air pollution and the action that needs to be taken by the government and community. In an effort to tackle the deteriorating air quality in Amritsar by encouraging more electric auto rickshaws, a meeting with experts […]Read More
To Tackle Stubble Burning, Governments Have Repeatedly Chosen Ineffective Routes
If policy makers want to see the end of the stubble burning, they have to shed their political differences and come up with a road map which factors in the inability of farmers to bear straw management costs. The year was 2019, and farmers where once again being blamed for air pollution in Delhi. As […]Read More
We are ignoring the simplest solution to the stubble burning problem
Paying for manual harvesting is the cheapest, most eco-friendly and sustainable way out. Government must enable farmers to switch to manual labour to harvest paddy It’s that time of the year again when the air quality in Delhi-NCR and surrounding areas worsens to the ‘severe’ category. Starting from mid-October, the air in the region becomes […]Read More
Rs 500/acre for farmers: NHRC to take up issue with Centre if Punjab gives it in writing
During the meeting, Punjab Chief Secretary VK Janjua is learnt to have told NHRC chairperson Arun Kumar Mishra that while his state and Delhi had agreed to pay Rs 500 each per acre, the Centre had refused to pay Rs 1500 as bonus to the farmers The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Friday asked Punjab […]Read More
What’s going wrong with Punjab’s stubble management
Punjab has been reporting around 2,000 stubble burning incidents daily for several days and the total number of farm fires has already crossed the 45,323-mark to date with burning of paddy residue Despite providing 1.05 lakh subsidised machines by the Punjab government under the crop residue management (CRM) scheme of the central government to manage […]Read More
Punjab sees another hike in farm fires; claims 30% drop in stubble burning
This is 27 per cent less when compared to 55,573 crop residue incidents reported in the corresponding period last year, as per the data. In another major hike in stubble burning incidents, Punjab on Friday witnessed 3,916 farm fires -– the highest so far this season, even as as the state government said such cases […]Read More
Playing out in Punjab, cat and mouse game between farmers, govt officials
While the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) had imposed environmental compensation (read fine) on 4,954 sites, the green compensation is yet to be imposed in 2,742 farm fire cases for want of verification of the field owners Satellite image data shows that Punjab has recorded 34,868 stubble burning incidents to date, including 1,778 farm fires […]Read More
For solutions to Delhi’s bad air problem, we need to look at governments, and voters, not courts
Menaka Guruswamy writes: Pollution is a governance issue — one that has long been neglected by the political class, despite contributing to our truncated life spans. This, coupled with the fact that pollution, despite its health and economic consequences, is not a priority issue for most voters, makes it a deadly compact of mutual apathy. […]Read More
Human Rights Body Seek Detailed Report From Punjab On Stubble Burning
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed strong concern over stubble burning cases in North India, especially in Punjab as the air quality has turned ‘severe’ in many cities. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday held a high-level review meeting via video conference with Punjab Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua and state […]Read More
With 206 farm fires, Punjab records highest cases in a day
Tarn Taran topped the charts in Punjab with 73 farm fire cases followed by 39 in Amritsar. Both these districts have been the worst performers in terms of stubble management so far The cases of paddy residue burning are on the rise with each passing day. As per the record, the state has witnessed the […]Read More
