69% of the Delhi-NCR citizens surveyed in favour of deploying CRPF in Punjab to enforce stubble burning ban

9th November 2017, New Delhi: Delhi NCR is reeling under a spell of smog right now. With PM2.5 touching the 1000 threshold, many are having trouble breathing. While solutions are being discussed by administrators, according to citizens difficult situations call for difficult and drastic actions which have not been forthcoming so far.

As of this morning, the NASA fire mapper (screenshot below) indicated major farm fires being ON in Punjab. According to many citizens, this is clearly the top root cause which needs action. Though there is a ban on burning crop stubble, citizen say this ban has not been enforced effectively and whatever crop stubble is still remaining, enforcement is the need of the hour. One of the top suggestions in the circles has been deployment of CRPF to effectively enforce this ban.

To ensure it is not a one off, LocalCircles asked citizens if CRPF should be deployed in Punjab to ensure no stubble burning by farmers. 69% citizens were supportive of the move and responded in a yes whereas 29% responded in a negative. 2% were unsure if it should be done or not. More than 10,600 citizens voted on this poll.

It is quite clear that some major steps will have to be immediately taken to bring the situation under control and deploying CRPF in Punjab for a few weeks to ensure enforcement could be a solution. As per the CRPF role defined on its website, one of the duties that CRPF can be activated for is checking environmental degradation and protection of local flora and fauna.

Stubble burning is a classic example where the environment is being severely hampered causing a threat to people’s life.

The pollution level in some parts in Delhi is already measuring ‘severe’ prompting the Delhi government to order schools to be shut till Sunday as the situation is unlikely to improve in the next few days. On Tuesday morning, the PM 2.5 level had shot up to almost 10 times the permissible limit, to the level of being termed dangerous.

Deployment of CRPF forcing an immediate ban on stubble burning looks like the obvious way out to control the deteriorating pollution level in the NCR, before the air becomes unbreathable.

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