Stubble burning: NGT seeks response from Centre, states
New Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) The National Green Tribunal todaysaid that still "serious" burning of crop residue by farmersis going on and sought the response of the Centre as wellPunjab and Haryana governments on steps taken by them to checkthe practice so that air pollution can be curbed.
The green panel heard several farmers from Punjab anddirected the state government to answer as to how it wouldprovide proper machinery to them to address the problem.
The tribunal also directed the Punjab government tosubmit a list of power plants and any other industries whichmay use the crop residue.
It sought a reply from the National Thermal PowerCorporation Limited (NTPC) as to why it cannot take cropresidue from the farmers under its "corporate socialresponsibility" for the "general cause of environment".
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumaralso sought a response from both the states on whether theburial of crop residue would benefit the soil in the long run.
The tribunal also asked why the government cannot developa mechanism among the farmers itself so that they can solvesuch issues.
During the hearing, the NGT posed various questionsbefore the farmers before passing the directions while over ahundred farmers gathered outside its premises.
The Punjab government today produced before the NGT 12farmers it claimed to have helped by giving incentives andinfrastructural facilities to prevent them from burning cropresidue.
During the proceedings, advocate I G Kapila, appearingfor the farmers, referred to various newspaper reports andsaid that the problem was serious.
The NGT had on October 11 directed Punjab to produce thefarmers after the state said that it had provided assistanceto them to encourage them not to burn crop residue.
The tribunal had taken exception to the fact that evenafter more than two years, nothing substantial has been donewith regard to stubble burning.
The Punjab government had earlier said that they havetaken Kalar Majri village in Nabha Tehsil of Patiala districtas a model project for implementing the directions of the NGTand to sensitise the farmers.
Earlier, the green panel had asked the state governmentto look into the problems faced by the farmers and directedits counsel to seek instructions on whether compensation couldbe provided to them for disposing their agricultural residuewhile giving them liberty to engage any agency of theirchoice.
It had warned the governments of Punjab, Haryana, UttarPradesh and Rajasthan that it would stop the payment ofsalaries of government officials if they failed to come upwith an action plan to prevent stubble burning, which triggersheavy pollution in Delhi-NCR. PTI UK PKSRT.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.