Union government told to study impact of burning crop

New Delhi: Slamming Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh governments for weak enforcement of a ban on crop burning that turns Delhi into a gas chamber during winters, a parliamentary panel has directed the Union government, along with state governments, to urgently conduct a scientific study to assess the environmental impact of crop burning on the NCR and the methodology to mitigate it.

The panel, headed by former Union minister Anand Sharma, noted that subsidy schemes run by Punjab and Haryana to promote disposal of the agricultural residues in a scientific manner instead of burning it have not helped much to address the issue.

Blaming systemic lethargy for Delhi’s foul air, the committee said, “Weak enforcement of the statutory ban has affected the ongoing efforts to tackle the issue of air pollution in Delhi and NCR.”