The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday has pulled up the Punjab government on the rising cases of stubble burning. Therefore, the NGT criticised the state government for failing to comply with the order of apex court to put an immediate ban on stubble burning.
The tribunal expressed its dissatisfaction with the steps that being taken by the Punjab government for not keeping up with a check on the stubble burning.
The NGT stated that calling it a “total failure of administration.” “Around 600 incidents of stubble burning were reported when the matter was taken up and now it’s 33,000 despite the fact that NGT and the Supreme Court are considering the matter. And you are saying you are making efforts.” NGT stated, “It is a total failure of your administration. Entire administration is at work and still you have failed.”
The NGT also called out the Punjab government for “selective treatment in prosecuting violators” as the Punjab counsel stated that it filed an FIR only against 829 for burning of crops on a single day out of 1,500. The NGT told Punjab counsel, “That’s almost one-fourth of a one-day incident. Why not the same action being taken against everyone.”
It added, “Your slogan appears to be please continued to suffocate. Perhaps your state doesn’t understand the seriousness of the problem. Major contribution is by your state.”
Amid a spike in the pollution level in Delhi-NCR, the top Court on November 7 directed Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to ensure crop residue burning was stopped “forthwith”, stating it can’t let “people die” due to pollution.
