Ahead of the winter season, which typically sees a sharp rise in air pollution across the Delhi-National Capital Region, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has taken proactive measures. The body has deployed specialized flying squads across 34 districts in Punjab and Haryana to rigorously monitor and prevent paddy stubble burning.
Monitoring Efforts Intensify
The flying squads, which will remain active until November 30, are tasked with ground-level monitoring throughout the paddy harvesting season. Their primary role is to assess the situation in their assigned districts, coordinate with local farmers, and collaborate with various authorities to prevent incidents of stubble burning.
These teams will work in conjunction with the Parali Protection Force, district-level administrations, state government nodal officers, state pollution control boards, and the CAQM Cell located at SAS Nagar. Daily reports on the ground situation and preventative actions will be submitted to the CAQM Cell, enabling continuous assessment and coordinated follow-up where necessary.
Extensive Coverage Across States
The deployment covers 18 districts in Punjab and 16 in Haryana, focusing on areas historically prone to stubble burning. In Punjab, the districts under surveillance include:
- Sangrur
- Tarn Taran
- Firozpur
- Muktsar
- Bathinda
- Amritsar
- Moga
- Mansa
- Fazilka
- Patiala
- Ludhiana
- Kapurthala
- Faridkot
- Barnala
- Malerkotla
- Gurdaspur
- Jalandhar
- Fatehgarh Sahib
For Haryana, the deployment extends to:
- Jind
- Fatehabad
- Hisar
- Kaithal
- Sonipat
- Rohtak
- Sirsa
- Karnal
- Palwal
- Jhajjar
- Kurukshetra
- Ambala
- Yamunanagar
- Faridabad
- Panipat
- Hansi
Preventative Action and Coordination
This strengthened field-level mechanism is designed to facilitate timely situational assessment, foster closer coordination among enforcement agencies, and enable prompt preventative action against stubble burning. The CAQM emphasizes its ongoing collaboration with the Punjab and Haryana governments, state pollution control boards, and district administrations to review and implement effective measures to combat this persistent environmental challenge.