In Conversation with Sunita Narain Over The Banega Swasth India Agenda
In Conversation with Sunita Narain Over The Banega Swasth India Agenda http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/content/first-pillar-banega-swasth-india-campaign-environment
In Conversation with Sunita Narain Over The Banega Swasth India Agenda http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/content/first-pillar-banega-swasth-india-campaign-environment
Paying farmers to manage paddy stubble as an incentive for not burning it is not advisable and could be a “perverse incentive”, the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) said in a report submitted to the Supreme Court on Wednesday. The effort by Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh must be to ensure that farmers have easy and affordable access to stubble management machines, which provide an alternative to crop residue burning, said the report by the Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA). Each year at the start of winter, paddy refuse is set on fire by farmers, primarily in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh so as prepare their fields quickly before sowing the wheat crop. This, along with contributing factors such as low temperatures and wind direction, leads to high pollution levels in Delhi and nearby areas. EPCA’s submission moves away from a directive by the apex court in November last year to the three States, to pay Rs 100 per quintal of paddy crop to farmers as an incentive for not burning the crop stubble. EPCA member Sunita Narain told The Indian Express, “There should be deterrence but not a perverse incentive. We don’t believe the Rs 100 top up over the MSP (minimum support price) is a good idea — that you would give this to them if they don’t burn the stubble. That works against the polluter pays principle.” “There are other ways to pay farmers, which is why we have said the machines should be made available for free to those who can’t afford them. There is also the option of buying the stubble (for conversion into CNG or bio-gas),” said Narain, who is also the director general of the Centre for Science and Environment. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has been pressing the Central government to give the Rs 100 per quintal incentive to farmers. Punjab chief secretary Vini Mahajan also said earlier this month that in the absence of this support, the State was left to fight the stubble burning issue on its own. An estimated 9.8 million tonnes of crop residue was burned in the State last year, in over 50,000 farm fires. This year Punjab, so far the largest stubble burning State, has provided nearly 51,000 stubble management machines — close to 17,500 to individual farmers at a subsidy of 50%, and over 33,000 to Custom Hiring Centres at a subsidy of 80%. While stubble burning is not the only cause of air pollution during winters in the northern Gangetic plains, including Delhi, there is “no doubt” that transport of pollutants from these fires is the tipping point for making winter’s unhealthy air quality into a public health emergency, the EPCA report states. However, Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has said in an action plan submitted to the Supreme Court that the incentive for not burning the stubble should be provided by State governments from their own budgets, if it is necessary. In three states After the apex court’s directive in November, Punjab paid incentives worth Rs 28.51 crore to over 31,000 farmers in 2019. However, this year the government, as per the EPCA report, has sought funds from the Centre and said it would not be able to pay this on their own. While Uttar Pradesh has no plans for providing the incentive, Haryana has allocated Rs 301 crore for it this year. Last year nearly 4,000 farmers in the State were provided this incentive totalling Rs 1.63 crore. EPCA chairman Bhure Lal has also asked for clarity from Punjab and Haryana on the price being charged to small and marginal farmers for using stubble management machines, being provided to them through Custom Hiring Centres and village panchayats.
Despite a ban on stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, farmers continue to defy it as there is a short window between harvesting of paddy and sowing of wheat. The high cost of manual or mechanical management of straw is a major reason why farmers choose to burn it.
नई दिल्ली, जागरण संवाददाता। भले ही इस समय दिल्ली-एनसीआर की हवा सामान्य श्रेणी में चल रही हो, लेकिन आने वाले दिनों में यह खराब हो सकती है। इस स्थिति से निपटने के लिए 15 अक्टूबर से ग्रेडेड रिस्पांस एक्शन प्लान (ग्रेप) लागू किया जा रहा है। पर्यावरण संरक्षण एवं प्रदूषण नियंत्रण प्राधिकरण (ईपीसीए) जल्द ही दिल्ली, हरियाणा, उत्तर प्रदेश, राजस्थान और स्थानीय निकायों के साथ बैठक करेगा। बैठक में प्रदूषण से जंग के लिए की जा रही तैयारियों पर चर्चा के अलावा कुछ नए प्रतिबंधों को लेकर भी सुझाव रखे जाएंगे।
By Ignatius Ushie It was the famous 16th President of the United States of America (USA), Abraham Lincoln that said, “I walk slowly, but I never walk backward.” Of a truth, Nigeria under President Buhari is moving forward steadily.
New Delhi: The approaching winter signals the annual return of the dreaded pollution and smog in Delhi — largely attributed to Punjab and Haryana farmers burning paddy stubble in their fields.
CHENNAI: It is estimated that India will have a load of more than two crore old vehicles nearing the end of their lives by 2025. They will cause huge pollution and environmental damage. It’s high time we had an effecting scrapping policy to tackle the issue.
A new report released by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) draws attention to what should be the critical parameters of an effective vehicle scrapping policy – even as the country awaits the notification of such a policy prepared by the Union ministry of road transport and highways for cabinet approval.
Epca had earlier this month asked DPCC to direct agencies to form an action plan to curb pollution at 13 hot spots in the city ahead of winter
In temperature, the change in wind direction and speed and stubble don't augur well for the air quality of New Delhi. Delhi Air Quality Index, Air Pollution: People in the national capital breathed a sigh of relief for a few months back when the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had found out that air pollution level had dipped by 79 per cent.
Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change ,Sh. Babul Supriyo today said, people and governments need to share the responsibility and work together to keep the air clean. Speaking at the webinar to commemorate 46th Year of Establishment of Central Pollution Control Board, he said, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has been doing a remarkable work in terms of collecting and collating the data related to pollution which is acting as a key policy input for the government and the concerned agencies to improve air quality. He said, CPCB has been providing a real time data which is commendable.