Supreme Court Criticizes Centre for Inaction on Stubble Burning, Calls Environmental Laws "Toothless"

On October 23, the Supreme Court reprimanded the Union government for the ineffectiveness of environmental laws, particularly concerning stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana. The court stated that the provisions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) Act related to penalties for stubble burning have not been enforced adequately.

The justices directed strong criticism at the state governments, emphasizing that there has been a lack of action against offenders. The court remarked that if Punjab and Haryana were genuinely committed to enforcing the law, there would have been prosecutions.

During the proceedings, the Supreme Court addressed the Chief Secretary of Punjab, highlighting that while approximately 1,080 FIRs were filed against violators, fines were only collected from 473 individuals. The court expressed concern that the state’s lax approach signals to violators that they face no real consequences for their actions, pointing out that this trend has persisted for the past three years.