CAQM Asks Punjab, Haryana, UP To Set Up ‘Parali Protection Force’

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has directed Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh to set up a "parali protection force" at district and block levels to prevent incidents of stubble burning.

- Press Trust of India

NEW DELHI:

Paddy straw burning in Punjab, Haryana, and UP is one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution in the National Capital Region in October and November. As the window for rabi crop wheat is very short after the paddy harvest, farmers set their fields on fire to quickly get rid of crop residue for sowing of the next crop.

In an order issued on Friday, the CAQM, which formulates air pollution control strategies for Delhi-NCR and the adjoining areas, asked authorities to map all farms in villages in these states to determine the most suitable methods for managing paddy stubble.