The Supreme Court of India has pulled the Punjab government over the long-standing issue of stubble burning and ordered the Punjab government to stop it in one way or the other. The Supreme Court also said that there can’t always be a political battle over stubble burning and some action must be taken. “We want it (stubble burning) stopped. We don't know how you do it, it’s your job. But it must be stopped. Something has to be done immediately,” the Supreme Court to the Punjab government.

The Supreme Court also further directed the states if Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to stop stubble burning from now on and said that chief secretaries and DGs of police will be responsible for the implementation of the court order and prevention of stubble burning. The court also put the responsibility on the centre to make sure that stubble burning does not happen and suggested removing MSP on paddy in Punjab and make farmers shift to an alternative crop. "The government has been propagating millets. Why not promote it?" it said.

Punjab reported 2,000 stubble burning incidents on Monday even when Haryana was seeing ‘severe’ or ‘very poor’ air quality, taking the total stubble burning incidences this season to 19,463, according to Ludhiana-based Punjab Remote Sensing Centre data. Stubble burning incidents reported from 1st November till 6th November constitute 61% of the total such cases in the current season, news agency PTI reported citing the data. The total stubble-burning incidents of 19,463 registered till 6th November was 35% less than 29,999 such cases in the corresponding period last year, the data stated.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the Rajasthan government and other states to follow its earlier order regarding fireworks in Diwali and directed to reduce air pollution during the festive season, saying it is the duty of the state governments and everybody and not just the courts to manage pollution. “When it comes to pollution, there is a wrong perception it is the duty of courts. But it has to be everybody’s duty,” the court said.

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