Express News Service
CHANDIGARH: Following the burning of crop residue in Punjab and Haryana and the resultant major smog crisis in the northern belt of the country, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convene a meeting of chief ministers of the affected states.
Singh has also again sought compensation from the PM for farmers for crop residue management to check the dangerous trend of stubble burning. He had asked the PM in July for Rs 100 per quintal as incentive to farmers to manage the crop residue scientifically.
Amarinder pointed out that most of north India, including the NCR is in the throes of a severe pollution crisis, induced largely by burning of paddy straw in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The higher courts of the country and the National Green Tribunal have also taken cognisance of the matter, he said.
Singh added that what is probably “not being understood” in proper perspective is that a problem, which is essentially scientific and economic, cannot be tackled through other means, including coercion.
Scientific management and disposal of paddy straw entails significant cost for a farmer, and he prefers the cheaper solution of burning the crop residue, said Amarinder. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday had said he wanted to meet the chief ministers of Haryana and Punjab to find solutions to the smog.
Measures to address pollution emergency
• Odd-even will be implemented from Nov 13-17 from 8 am to 8 pm
• DTC will hire 500 buses from private contractors to tackle rush of commuters Delhi Metro will provide 100 small buses
• Old CNG stickers will be valid. New ones will be available at 22 CNG stations across Delhi from 2pm on Friday
• In 2016, the scheme was enforced twice -- January 1-15 and April 15-30
