New Delhi:
The Centre has doubled the stubble burning fine in Delhi and adjoining areas in view of the fast-plummeting air quality in the region.
The new rules mandate that farmers having land of less than two acres shall pay an environmental compensation of ₹ 5,000, while the fine will be ₹ 10,000 for farmers having land of two acres or more but less than five acres. Farmers having land of more than five acres shall pay an environmental compensation of ₹ 30,000.
The move came after the Supreme Court pulled up the Centre over inaction regarding the deteriorating air quality in the National Capital and adjoining areas. The air quality in Delhi-NCR remained alarmingly poor on Thursday, approaching ‘severe’ levels in multiple areas, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city recorded at 362, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Several areas in Delhi exceeded the 400 AQI mark, which falls under the ‘severe’ category.
AQI levels in Haryana’s Faridabad and Gurugram and Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, and Noida areas ranged between 252 and 313, also reflecting poor air quality levels.
