NHRC hears Chief Secretaries of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab & U.P: Holds States responsible not the farmers for continued stubble burning; gives 4 days for specific reports to check air pollution in Delhi-NCR; next hearing in their presence on 18/11/2022

New Delhi, 12th November, 2022

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India heard the Chief Secretaries of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh on 10th November, 2022 in connection with its suo motu cognizance of unabated air pollution in Delhi- NCR as reported in media. The Commission, after considering the responses of the concerned States and the Government of NCT of Delhi, and the deliberations thereon, is of the opinion that the farmers are burning stubbles under compulsion.

The State Governments have to provide harvest machines to get rid of those stubbles but they have failed to provide an adequate number of requisite machines and other measures; as a result, farmers are forced to burn the stubbles, causing pollution. Therefore, none of the States can blame the farmers for stubble burning; instead, it is due to the failure of all four State Governments that the stubble burning is happening in the States of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and U.P causing enormous pollutants in the air.

The Commission has asked the concerned Chief Secretaries to remain present again either in person or hybrid mode on 18th November, 2022 for the next hearing in the matter and submit prior of this, their response/affidavits within four days positively on the points raised by it, among others, during the deliberations and considerations of their responses.

Govt. of NCT of Delhi

i. Steps taken to control open burning. Out of 5000 acres of farmland in Delhi, bio-decomposer was sprinkled free of cost by Delhi Government in 2368.5 acres of paddy only till 07.11.2022. Reasons for not sprinkling in the remaining area and within what time, the same will be achieved and result of such sprinkling be also furnished;

ii. On Mechanical Road Sweeper (MRS) machines let details be furnished with time, places and dates;

iii. Details of mobile and static Anti-Smog guns deployed in various roads, with date and places and on high rise buildings;

iv. 13 identified hotspots in Delhi and measures taken to keep AQI within the reasonable limits as well as the emergency plan to tackle it;

v. Area-wise details of surviving trees which were planted, Number of illegal industries running and closed;

vi. How medical waste is collected and details of action taken against the hospitals which are dumping medical waste in open area;

vii. With regard to Green Delhi Application and Green War Room for public grievance redressal, a report be furnished as to how many grievances have been uploaded on Green Delhi App and how many have been attended.

Govt. of Haryana

i) For bio-degrading, how much area has been covered, details, district-wise and the result thereof;

ii) How many hotspots have been identified in the villages and what steps have been taken to remove them;

iii) What is the outcome of Haryana State Pollution Control Board, Control room at Ballabhgarh for the redressal of air pollution related complaints;

iv) Steps taken for stoppage of construction activities and details of challan, if any;

v) How many inspections are being carried out to check emission norms compliance by the industries and action taken against violators;

Govt. of Punjab

i). Compared to the year 2021, CRM machines available for utilization in the current year is 10,5310. There is an increase of only 14,888 machines whereas as per report, purchase of 30000 machines during the current year i.e. 2022 has been sanctioned. The reasons for shortfall in the purchase of the remaining CRM machines against the sanctioned machines. Detail of month-wise sanction be furnished;

ii) Out of these CRM machines, how many have been reserved for Panchayats and Cooperatives. Likewise, how many machines are dedicated for use by poor farmers;

iii) No. of machines available for booking on I-khet app;

iv) In the current year, various awareness/campaigns/seminars/ demonstration events/webinars have been conducted, details as to date, place and its frequencies be furnished;

v) Details of Bio-decomposer used. District, Panchayat and areas wise details dates and its impact be furnished;

vi) Date-wise fire incident from last year to as on date be furnished.

Govt. of Uttar Pradesh

i. What is the impact of subsidy of FPO’s, Cooperative Societies and Panchayats for establishment of Farm Machinery banks;

ii. Details be furnished as to how many machines are given to Panchayat and cooperatives and reserved for poor farmers. Information as to how Panchayat is helping the poor farmers in using the equipment;

iii. What time frame has been fixed for setting up of 21 more Bio CNG/Bio Coal/Bio Briquettees/CBG/ 2G Ethanol plants;

iv. Outcome of directions for transportation of construction materials in covered vehicles details/incidents of violation/supervision be furnished.

v. Date-wise details of the streets where cleaning by mechanical method and spraying of water to suppress dust is done;

vi. How many unpaved roads exist and potholes have not been repaired time frame to do needful;

vii. How medical waste is being managed and action, if any, taken against the hospitals, dumping medical waste on open.

viii. Details of various steps being taken for the cleaning of river ‘Ganga’ in the State.

Some of the other common points on which the Commission has sought reports from the concerned States and the Government of NCT of Delhi within four days, include among others, the status of assistance to farmers for in–situ management of crop residue through machines and other methods; checking stubble burning; use of mobile and stationary anti-smog guns; dust management through water sprinklers; mechanical road sweeper machines; vehicular pollution, management of construction, demolition& other waste; unpaved roads and potholes surviving trees out of those planted; hotspots identified and focused action to control air pollution therein as well as the status of compliance of its Advisory dated 24.09.2021 with regard to the hazardous cleaning by providing safety equipments and mechanical management of cleaning septic tanks/sewers.

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