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Stubble burning fines doubled to up to ₹30,000 based on farm area
Cultivators having land of more than five acres shall pay an environmental compensation of ₹30,000 per stubble burning incidence as per the new rules
The Union government has issued new rules doubling fines for stubble burning, which is a major cause of pollution in northwestern India including the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) in October and November, to up to ₹30,000 based on the farm areas.
The Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (Imposition, Collection, and Utilisation of Environmental Compensation for Stubble Burning) Amendment Rules, 2024, provide for environmental compensation for stubble burning.
Farmers with land of less than two acres shall be liable to pay ₹5,000 per stubble burning incidence, while those with two acres or more but less than five acres ₹10,000. Cultivators having land of more than five acres shall pay an environmental compensation of ₹30,000 per incidence. The fines were ₹2,500, 5,000, and ₹15,000 under three categories as per the 2023 rules.
The notification for increasing the fines issued on Wednesday also provides a format for imposing fines on farmers for burning crop stubble. It was issued on the day Delhi’s air quality was at the higher end of the “very poor” category for a fourth straight day as calm winds continued to negatively impact the dispersion of pollutants. At least nine stations recorded severe air quality in the city at 9am on Thursday.
The AQI has been over 300 (very poor) since October 30. The contribution of stubble burning to Delhi’s PM 2.5, tiny particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, was 20.3% on Tuesday, according to data from the Decision Support System calculated based on the actual fire counts. It was 23.3% a day earlier. On November 1, farm fires were estimated to have contributed a season’s high of 35.1% of Delhi’s PM 2.5 load.
