
Amid rising air pollution caused by the burning of crop residue, the Bihar government has decided to identify farmers who are indulging in this practice and put up their names at the block offices, officials said on Saturday.
Besides naming and shaming, directions have also been given to initiate action against such farmers under CrPC section 133 that deals with unlawful obstruction or nuisance, they said.
"The state government has banned crop residue burning to check air pollution and protect the fertility of the soil. It has issued a strict warning to farmers that if they indulge in stubble burning, financial assistance and subsidies under government schemes would be denied," Agriculture Minister Kumar Sarvjeet told news agency PTI.
"The state offers electricity to farmers at a cheaper rate, and diesel at subsidised prices, among others. Therefore, farmers must take the matter seriously for the benefit of the people and also the environment," he added.
It was also decided at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Amir Subhani that the names of farmers who were earlier prosecuted for crop residue burning would be put up at the block offices, officials said.
Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) chairman Devendra Kumar Shukla said the decisions were taken to discourage farmers from stubble burning and harming the environment.
"The state government has taken several measures to discourage farmers from burning crop residues. The state government has undertaken awareness campaigns, and giving subsidies to farmers on various farm equipment," he said.
Poor air quality, especially during winter, in different cities of the state has always remained a matter of concern, he added.
Several farmers in Rohtas, Kaimur, Buxar, Nalanda, Gaya and Patna districts were penalised by the Agriculture Department in April for violating norms related to crop residue burning.
The highest number of such cases were reported from Rohtas at 1,298, followed by Kaimur (438 cases) and West Champaran (279 cases).
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi's air quality worsened on Sunday as weak winds trapped pollutants, raising the overall AQI to 366 in the "very poor" category with three monitoring stations recording "severe" air above 400, Centre Pollution Control Board data showed.
As Delhi woke up to another smoggy morning and Air Quality Index (AQI) in several areas climbed to the 'severe' category, senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called upon the Centre and the BJP-led Delhi government to act immediately.
The national capital witnessed a sharp deterioration in air quality on Sunday morning, with pollution levels slipping deep into the 'very poor' category and touching 'severe' levels in several parts of Delhi-NCR.
What you eat can play a powerful role in keeping your defences strong and your energy steady. Read on for details.
Starting November 1, the Delhi government has prohibited the entry of BS4-engine commercial vehicles to tackle severe air pollution.
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