Centre doubles penalty for stubble burning in Delhi-NCR amid rising pollution levels

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Wednesday announced amendments to the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Rules, 2023, concerning the imposition, collection, and utilisation of environmental compensation for stubble burning.

Under the revised rules, farmers with less than two acres of land will now face a penalty of Rs 5,000 for burning stubble. Those with land between two and five acres will be fined Rs 10,000, while farmers with over five acres of land will pay Rs 30,000.

The amendment seeks to standardize the penalty structure, taking into account farmers with smaller landholdings.

This decision comes amid rising pollution levels in the national capital, with the AQI approaching ‘severe’ levels in multiple areas. The average Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city was recorded at 362 on Thursday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Several areas in Delhi exceeded the 400 AQI mark, which falls under the ‘severe’ category. Anand Vihar reported an AQI of 422, Jahangirpuri 431, and Wazirpur 428. Other localities, including Ashok Vihar (416), Mundka (421), and Rohini (403), also indicated dangerously high levels of pollution.

AQI levels in Haryana’s Faridabad and Gurugram and Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, and Noida areas ranged between 252 and 313.