UP continues to reel under poor air quality

MINISTER-SPEAK If farmers are able to prove they were not involved in stubble burning, cases against them will be withdrawn

MINISTER-SPEAK If farmers are able to prove they were not involved in stubble burning, cases against them will be withdrawn

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LUCKNOW Uttar Pradesh continues to reel under poor air quality over a month after the end of the ‘stubble burning season’.

Cities in western UP including Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, Noida, Hapur and Baghpat remain the most polluted with average air quality index (AQI) oscillating between the poor (200-300 AQI) and severe (400-500 AQI) categories.

The central areas of UP are also witnessing similar conditions. Stubble burning post the kharif season is the most common reason cited by government officials for the rise in AQI post mid- October.

In the last 60 days, Lucknow has not seen a single day of ‘good air quality’. On Sunday, the AQI of the city was 186, owing to light showers in the last 48 hours. Ghaziabad with AQI of 360 was one of the most polluted cities followed by Moradabad 353, Noida 342 and Greater Noida 340.

Experts claim that the high level of AQI, despite the end of the stubble burning season, proves that the cause of air pollution continues to exist and the departments concerned have not taken the required action to improve air quality.

Senior environmentalist Devesh Singh said, “The bad air in the city is caused primarily due to increase in vehicular emissions and construction work.”

Singh added that the state government has done ‘little to nothing’ to address these issues. “The UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has not even identified the source of emission that contributes to air pollution,” he said.

The state government, in a knee-jerk reaction after AQI shot past the 400-mark, had stopped all large-scale construction activities and formed a joint committee of pollution control board and agriculture department to prevent stubble burning.

The committee in tandem with district administration fined farmers and booked them for stubble burning. Close to a 1,000 FIRs were lodged and around ₹3 million were recovered from farmers as fine.

“The government targeted farmers for pollution levels in cities. As many as five FIRs were lodged against farmers in our village. I don’t know how these poor farmers will pursue their cases,” said Karanpal Singh, head of regional farmers’ union of Shahjahanpur district, where maximum number of FIRs were lodged against farmers.

Meanwhile, state agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi said, “The farmers will not be targeted in the state. FIRs were lodged considering the alarming air pollution levels in the state. If the farmers are able to prove that they were not involved in stubble burning, the cases against them will be withdrawn.”