THE All India Kisan Sabha, in a statement issued on November 8, has condemned the draconian notification of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) of  November 6, 2024 that doubles fines on farmers on the pretext of curbing pollution due to stubble burning. Fines ranging from Rs 5000-30,000 are mentioned in the rules termed Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (Imposition, Collection and Utilisation of Environmental Compensation for Stubble Burning) Amendment rules, 2024.  Terming it as “environmental compensation”, the BJP led union government is deliberately creating ill-will and hatred especially against the farmers of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh by putting the entire blame of smog and pollution in the National Capital Region on stubble burning by them. This also could create disaffection and hatred in the urban centres against farmers in the suburbs as well as nearby states, although the charge itself is premised on unfounded and unscientific claims. The claim that stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is leading to air pollution in NCR is bogus because air quality in these states, which should be more directly affected has been consistently lower than in the NCR.

It is notable that vehicular pollution, pollution from factories and brick-kilns are going on unchecked and scientific studies point out that they are more responsible for the pollution in the NCR Region. According to NASA’s Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) data there reportedly has been a 51 per cent drop in the total number of farm fires between 2018 and October, 2024. Data shared by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) indicate that between October 12 and October 21 this year, on average stubble burning accounted for only 0.92 per cent of the PM2.5 (Particulate Matter 2.5) levels in Delhi. Clearly, the dominant reasons for the pollution in NCR are vehicular emissions, emissions from factories, brick-kilns etc. While the urban rich and capitalists are not being fined and little is being done to regulate the proliferation of vehicles, the poor farmers are being targeted for their role in the historic farmers’ struggle against the pro-corporate Farm Acts as well as the electoral set-back for BJP in the rural areas.

In fact, the farmers through agro-forestry and protection of green cover are doing an ecological service to the nation and the BJP led union government is punishing them. The entire problem of stubble burning can be addressed if remunerative prices at C2+50 per cent is assured and an Ecological Services Fee of Rs 10,000 per hectare for stubble management can be ensured for farmers. The Narendra Modi led BJP government is betraying the written agreement with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha in 2021 December that farmers would not be punished in the name of stubble burning. AIKS warns the government that it will have to face massive protests if this draconian notification is imposed. The notification has to be scrapped forthwith. AIKS calls upon its units in all states to rise up in protest.