Frame guidelines to prevent pollution from straw burning: NGT

The National Green Tribunal has directed the Centre to hold a meeting of all the states and prepare "composite" guidelines for preventing the pollution caused by straw burning, which allegedly is one of the reasons for the smog in Delhi.
A bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the Ministry of Agriculture to place before it the guidelines as well as the manner and time frame in which they would be implemented.
"We direct the Ministry of Agriculture to hold a meeting of all the states including Punjab and Haryana, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi and prepare composite and complete guidelines for preventing and controlling the pollution resulting from burning agricultural remnants (straw) in open fields, modality and time frame for its implementation which should be placed before the tribunal," the bench said.

The order was passed after all the parties, including the Centre, state governments and CPCB submitted that general guidelines to prevent and control pollution caused by burning agricultural waste in open fields can be framed.
They also submitted that in this endeavour the reports of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the CPCB on the issue will be examined.
The tribunal has listed the matter for further hearing on March 21.

NGT was hearing a plea by environmentalist Vikrant Tongad seeking a ban on burning of agricultural waste/remnants in open fields.
Tongad has alleged that burning of agricultural residue, like straw, in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh caused air pollution not only in these states but is also a major cause of smog in the National Capital Region of Delhi.

In his plea, filed through advocates Rahul Choudhary and Parul Gupta, Tongad has sought directions to the authorities concerned as well as the states to take steps to stop practice of burning of agricultural residue/bio-mass.