Ahead of Diwali, govt plans pollution penalty up to ₹15 lakh as Delhi smogs up

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: Following the Supreme Court's censure, the Union government plans to impose a penalty of up to ₹15 lakh for pollution- and environment-related offences ahead of Diwali and up to a ₹15,000 spot fine for burning crop residue or stubble, according to two officials.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday criticized the government for making the environment protection law toothless, amid worsening air quality in Delhi and the national capital region. Every winter, the national capital and its surrounding regions are blanketed in toxic smog, made worse by the burning of leftover straw in farms in neighbouring states ahead and the bursting of firecrackers during Diwali.

The government now plans to amend the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, according to the officials, who declined to be identified. “We have decided to decriminalise (stubble burningand other environmental offenses); we are replacing imprisonment with a penalty," one of them said.

“In the existing rules, violators under the EP (environment protection) and air Acts are sent behind bars for three years. The idea is to fast-track cases because cases get extended in court without any resolution.

The range could be ₹10,000 to ₹1.5 million ( ₹15 lakh) for all types of violators, and ₹2,500-15,000 per incident for farmers found burning stubble." Also read | Govt proposes to amend pollution control norms, impacting polluting industries Cases of stubble burning have been on a decline this year. Stubble burning or burning events dropped to 4,969 between 15 September and 26 October in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, against 7,136 cases