'Up to ₹30,000 fine': Centre doubles penalties for stubble burning
The central government has hiked penalties for stubble burning after facing the Supreme Court's ire. The top court had called the Environment Protection Act (EPA), 1986, "toothless" for its meager fines for the practice. Subsequently, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Wednesday framed new rules under the act, detailing procedures for filing complaints, conducting inquiries and adjudicating environmental pollution cases.
New amendment rules introduced, penalties increased
The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas has been apprised of these changes. The new amendment rules were notified under the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021. They will be enforced immediately without prior public consultation. Under the new rules, farmers with less than two acres will pay ₹5,000 for stubble burning. Those with two to five acres will face a penalty of ₹10,000.
Farmers with more than 5 acres to pay ₹30,000
Farmers with over five acres will be fined ₹30,000. Earlier, fines were ₹2,500, ₹5,000 and ₹15,000 respectively for these land categories. The Centre has also notified the Environment Protection (Manner of Holding Inquiry and Imposition of Penalty) Rules 2024. These rules outline how complaints can be filed with pollution control boards and other concerned bodies. They also outline how inquiries into environmental pollution complaints should be conducted and adjudicated.
SC criticizes government's inaction on environmental penalties
The Supreme Court's October 23 order emphasized problems in implementing penalties under the Jan Vishwas Act. The court observed that prosecution was substituted with penalties but requisite rules weren't notified to implement the change. "The substituted Section 15 has been rendered completely ineffective due to inaction on the part of the Government of India," the bench said, upset with selective enforcement of environmental compensation recovery for stubble burning.
