Stubble Burning Will Lead To Health Problems In Delhi Amid Alarming Covid-19 Situation, Plea Moved In HC

The court has sought for response on a plea seeking immediate steps to prevent stubble burning in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana on the grounds it would aggravate COVID-19 related problems.

(File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the Central government to submit its report on a plea seeking an end to stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. As per reports, the court has sought for response on a plea seeking immediate steps to prevent stubble burning in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana on the grounds it would aggravate COVID-19 related problems. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan issued notice to the Centre on an application which contended that stubble burning would increase the air pollution drastically in the national capital and could further aggravate the health problems in the city in view of the coronavirus pandemic. The application was moved by Sudhir Mishra, an advocate, who urged the court that the central government be directed to coordinate a meeting between chief secretaries of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to address the issue. According to information, Mishra told the court that stubble burning has already started in Punjab and Haryana. IN PICS: Intense Farmers’ Protest Against Controversial Farm Bills Engulfs India The Central government told the bench that despite directions of the respective state governments not to engage in stubble burning or face penalties for violation, the farmers were doing it. The court listed the matter for hearing on October 22 and asked the central government to find out if any similar matter was pending before the Supreme Court. The application was filed by Mishra in his main PIL moved in 2015 seeking directions to the Centre to take immediate steps to control increasing air pollution in the national capital. He has claimed that there is a direct connection between the increase in air pollution and the rise in COVID-19 cases in Delhi. Satellite images released by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) show that stubble burning has started for nearly five days in the farm basket of India, which means in the next three days, Delhi's air may turn into 'poor' category amid the Covid-19 pandemic, sparking health concerns. The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) has already started to show the results with Delhi's air quality turning 'moderate'. To put things into context, the air quality in Mumbai and Ahmedabad is 'satisfactory', while it is 'good' in Pune.