The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken suo motu cognizance of the increasing air pollution in Madhya Pradesh with the state recording the highest number of stubble-burning cases in India, with 11,382 incidents, surpassing Punjab’s 9,655 cases.
The original application is registered suo motu on the basis of a news item dated November 21, 2024.
As per the article, the increase in stubble burning is linked to rise in paddy cultivation, which has doubled over the last decade.
The article highlights that in 2012, soybeans dominated the area, with 58 lakh hectares under cultivation. This has dropped to 52 lakh hectares in 2024, while paddy cultivation surged from 16.5 lakh hectares to 33.50 lakh hectares in the same period. The worst-affected districts are Sheopur (2,424 cases) and Narmadapuram (1,462 cases), where the practice is most prevalent. Furthermore, the article reports that farmers allegedly complain that burning paddy is a compulsion as they do not have any manual labour to remove it, and the field needs to be prepared for the next crop.
The article also cites the example of tribal farmers in districts like Balaghat who have adopted sustainable practices that minimise stubble burning. Instead of burning the stubble, they repurpose it as cattle fodder and organic manure, which helps reduce waste and environmental harm. For example, in Malharapankha village of Betul district, farmers use crop residue to feed their cattle and avoid burning it.
The Principal Bench comprising Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Chairperson, and Dr. A. Senthil Vel, Expert Member impleaded the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board, Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Director, Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region, as respondents in the matter.
They have been directed to file responses/replies by way of affidavit before the appropriate Bench of the Tribunal.
The case attracts provisions of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The NGT has recognized its power to take up the matter suo moto, as established by the Supreme Court in the case of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai vs. Ankita Sinha & Ors.
The case has been transferred to the Central Zonal Bench, Bhopal, for further action.
The next hearing is scheduled for February 10, 2025.