A four-member NGT bench, headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar, put forth these queries while hearing activist Vikrant Tongad's plea on the poor implementation of NGT's order prohibiting burning of crop residue.
With farmers from Punjab and Haryana defying government and court orders on stubble burning, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday sought a response from both the Centre and the governments of Punjab and Haryana on what action was being taken to curb the practice and prevent air pollution.
The tribunal also directed the Punjab government to submit a list of biomass power plants and private industries that could use paddy straw as fuel. Further, it sought a response from the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Limited on how they could use the crop residue as part of its corporate social responsibility. The NGT has sought all these responses by the next hearing on October 17.
A four-member NGT bench, headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar, put forth these queries while hearing activist Vikrant Tongad's plea on the poor implementation of NGT's order prohibiting burning of crop residue. As directed by NGT on Wednesday, Punjab government brought before the bench, farmers who they claimed had been provided with incentives and alternatives for curbing stubble burning. The NGT had directed Punjab government to produce 21 farmers from Kallar Majri in Patiala district, chosen as the model district, but the government only managed to get 12 farmers.
The bench asked the farmers about the facilities and incentives they had been provided and were informed that some financial aid and rented machinery was provided. They were quick to add though, that it was not enough. The bench then asked the state to study the effects of mixing the paddy straw with the soil for the next cropping cycle.
Moolah matters
The Punjab government said it had sought financial aid to give a bonus of Rs 100 per quintal to farmers. It also asked what had become of the sanctioned Rs 48 crore.
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