NGT had pulled the legs of the Punjab government regarding pollution and stubble burning. NGT had criticised the state government for failing in following the orders of supreme court to immediately stop the burning of stubble.
National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Punjab and Haryana government to prepare a roadmap to reduce stubble burning cases in 2024. Tribunal commented that “you will forget about all this and next year you'll again burn stubble”. NGT had directed states to prepare a time-bound plan ( action plan) along with different preventive steps for the upcoming year. For the stance on Delhi pollution, the Tribunal scolded aur quality management commission just to implement and debard the GRAP. NGT stated that CAQM is working on its own. What is the work of CAQM? They just cancel and implement GRAP. They are never present in 90% of their committee meetings.
NGT enquired Punjab government before this about increasing cases of pollution and burning of stubble. NGT had criticised the state government for failing in following the orders of supreme court to immediately stop the burning of stubble. The NGT showed disappointment to the Punjab government for not taking necessary steps to prevent stubble burning.
NGT stated it as the ‘complete failure of management’ and said, “ at the time when issue was raised, stubble burning cases were around 600 and now it has increased to a number of 33,000 cases, even on the facts that NGT and supreme court discussing over this and you are telling that you are taking actions”. NGT stated that ‘this is a complete failure of management’. The whole system is working and you failed.
NGT also called on the Punjab government to play a ‘ selective role in charging trials on violators’. Because the Punjab advocate said that he filed an FIR against only 829 people out of 1500 for burning stubble in one day. This is only one-fourth of the one day cases. NGT on this stated to the Punjab government that why similar actions are not to be taken against all of them? Meanwhile, in the increase in the level of Delhi pollution, the supreme court clearly directed haryana, uttar pradesh, rajasthan and Punjab on 7 November that burning agricultural remains should be immediately stopped and we can't let people die out of pollution.