After SC rap, Delhi’s pollution panel deploys flying squads to check stubble burning

The team will coordinate with the authorities/officers at the district level, appointed by the respective State governments, CAQM said in a statement.

The move comes days after the Supreme Court said the CAQM “needs to be more active” to check pollution due to stubble burning in areas under its jurisdiction.

“The squads will report to the Commission and CPCB on a daily basis, including steps taken to prevent further incidents of paddy stubble burning in the allocated district,” the statement said.

CAQM, meanwhile, said it will be setting up a ‘Paddy Stubble Management’ Cell at Mohali to closely coordinate with the Agriculture Department and other related agencies in Punjab and Haryana.

A bench of Justices AS Oka and Augustine George Masih said last week, “We are of the view that though the commission has taken certain steps, the commission needs to be more active. The commission must ensure that its efforts and directions issued actually translate into reducing the problem of pollution.”.

The bench noted that the commission was set up for the purposes of better coordination, research, identification and resolution of problems surrounding the air quality index (AQI) and matters connected therewith.

Following are the districts where flying squads have been deployed:

Punjab

• Amritsar
• Barnala
• Bathinda
• Faridkot
• Fatehgarh Sahib
• Fazilka
• Firozpur
• Jalandhar
• Kapurthala
• Ludhiana
• Mansa
• Moga
• Muktsar
• Patiala
• Sangrur
• Tarn Taran

Haryana

• Ambala
• Fatehabad
• Hisar
• Jind
• Kaithal
• Karnal
• Kurukshetra
• Sirsa
• Sonipat
• Yamunanagar