A Supreme Court two-judge bench, comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia, strongly criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government on Tuesday for its failure to curb farm fires in the state. The bench recommended that Punjab take inspiration from the BJP-led Haryana government’s successful strategies in managing such incidents.
Expressing dissatisfaction with Punjab’s handling of the issue, the court remarked, “Providing machines for crop residue management to farmers is not sufficient. Even if the machine is provided for free, there are diesel costs, manpower costs, etc.”
The bench questioned why the Punjab government couldn’t cover the diesel and manpower costs for farmers and suggested utilizing the byproducts of crop residue. It further advised Punjab to adopt financial incentives, citing the successful reduction in farm fire incidents in Haryana from 5,993 in 2021 to 1,986 in 2023.
Highlighting the escalating farm fire incidents in Punjab, which surpassed 30,000 in 2023, the court emphasized the severe air pollution consequences of stubble burning in northern India.
During the hearing, the bench also addressed the issue of declining groundwater levels in Punjab, warning that arid land could have widespread repercussions. The court urged a committee led by the Cabinet Secretary to explore methods of persuading farmers to shift to more water-efficient crops.
The justices urged the committee to assess discouraging rice cultivation, expressing concern about the potential disastrous long-term impact. They emphasized the need for collaborative efforts between the Punjab government and the union government, urging them to transcend political considerations for the common goal of sustainable agriculture. The bench cautioned against the blame game, stating that failure to act could lead to dry land, disappearing water, and environmental consequences, all tied to the politics surrounding Minimum Support Price (MSP)