New Delhi: The RSS-affiliated Bhartiya Kisan Sangh on Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court's remarks and suggestions on air pollution in Delhi-NCR, saying governments must stop "harassing farmers" in the name of stubble burning.

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The apex court last week identified vehicular emissions as a key source of air pollution in NCR, pointing out that Delhi's sky was clear during the Covid-19 lockdown even though stubble burning hadn't stopped.

The Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) demanded immediate withdrawal of fines imposed and FIRs registered against farmers over stubble burning, and urged state governments and administrations to implement the Supreme Court's suggestions.

In a press statement, BKS all-India general secretary Mohini Mohan Mishra said state governments should move beyond paperwork, identify the actual causes of pollution at the ground level and find solutions instead of making farmers scapegoats.

"The strong objection raised by the Supreme Court against blaming only farmers for pollution makes it clear that farmers are not the primary cause of pollution," Mishra said.

Referring to the court's observations on the Covid-19 lockdown, he said other major factors are responsible for pollution.

"The Supreme Court cited the example of Covid-19, pointing out that even during the lockdown, stubble burning was taking place, yet Delhi's sky was completely clear," he said.

The BKS also supported the Supreme Court's suggestion that stubble should be procured by the government on the lines of crops, with a minimum support price-like mechanism to encourage farmers to sell it instead of burning it.

"We support the Supreme Court's suggestion that just as the government procures crops, a system for government procurement or minimum support price (MSP) should be established for stubble as well, so that farmers receive financial benefits and can sell stubble instead of burning it," Mishra said.

He said industries and vehicles are the primary sources of pollution and targeting farmers for the problem is unfair.

"We have been maintaining that industries and vehicles are the primary sources of pollution. Targeting farmers for this is unfair," he said.

The BKS urged state governments and the administration to take concrete steps to curb emissions and vehicle exhaust.

The Supreme Court on November 6 expressed serious concern over the recurring air pollution crisis in Delhi-NCR and identified vehicular emissions as a major contributor to deteriorating air quality.

It also flagged bumper-to-bumper traffic and the large number of vehicles plying on roads connecting Delhi with neighbouring areas, including Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, Gurugram and Faridabad.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana directed the governments of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana, along with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Delhi Police, to file detailed responses on measures to prevent the entry and operation of over-age vehicles in the National Capital Region.

The bench noted that data presented before it indicated a substantial decline in stubble burning incidents across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.

The BKS called upon governments to bear the cost of stubble disposal or provide farmers with the necessary resources for its management.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Mathrubhumi and is published from a syndicated feed.)