Five Punjab districts receive notices over stubble burning monitoring failures
The Commission for Air Quality Management has sought explanations from officials regarding gaps in inspecting reported farm-fire incidents.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) issued notices on November 4 to officials in five Punjab districts for alleged failures in enforcing stubble burning prevention measures, according to The Tribune.
The notices were sent to the Deputy Commissioners of Bathinda, Faridkot, Fazilka, and Jalandhar, and the Senior Superintendent of Police in Barnala.
Between September 15 and November 3, these five districts recorded 405 farm-fire incidents. Bathinda reported the highest number with 148 cases, followed by Barnala with 82, Faridkot with 66, Jalandhar with 57, and Fazilka with 52.
The CAQM expressed concern over the gap between reported fires and physical inspections. In Barnala, only 28 of 82 incidents were inspected, while Bathinda verified 68 of 148 cases.
The Commission also questioned why the Parali Protection Force and nodal officers had not reported any non-AFL fields with burning traces despite the recorded incidents. It noted that no action had been initiated against responsible officials in Barnala, Bathinda, Fazilka, and Jalandhar under Section 14 of the CAQM Act, 2021, though Faridkot reported three prosecution actions.
The officials must explain by November 10 why action should not be taken against them. Under Section 14, violations can lead to up to five years of imprisonment, a fine of up to Rs 1 crore, or both.