Amid worsening air quality in Delhi and neighbouring areas, the government has doubled stubble burning fine, with the penalty going up to Rs 30,000.

Under the new rules, farmers with less than two acres of land will face a fine of Rs 5,000. Those with between two and five acres will be fined Rs 10,000, while farmers with more than five acres of land will be penalized Rs 30,000 for engaging in stubble burning, an official statement said on Wednesday.

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The amendment is part of the government’s push to reduce air pollution under the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) Act of 2021.

The move comes after the Supreme Court pulled up the Centre over inaction regarding the deteriorating air quality in the national capital and adjoining areas. It also called the Environment Protection Act (EPA), 1986 “toothless”.

The top court had also recently criticized the Delhi government over the blanket ban on firecrackers. The court observed that the ban was “hardly implemented” and directed the Delhi top cop to file an affidavit stating the measures that were taken to enforce the ban in the city.

As part of the new measures, complaints related to pollution will be handled by the pollution control boards and the CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management), with clear guidelines for conducting enquiries and addressing grievances.

The air quality index (AQI) levels in Haryana’s Faridabad and Gurugram and Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, and Noida ranged between 252 and 313, also reflecting poor air quality levels.

According to experts, lack of a viable market for crop residue, the paddy variety and harvesting systems used, and labour scarcity force farmers to burn crop residue.