New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday came down on stubble burning, noting that it is partly responsible for the air pollution in the country. The top court, while acknowledging that the farmers are important and special, stated that it does not mean they are allowed to continue stubble burning unchecked, Bar And Bench reported.

The court then proposed strict action including arrest, penalties and other consequences to be imposed to deter farmers from engaging in stubble burning to reduce air pollution caused by such activities.

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Stubble burning is the practice of burning straw stubble leftover after a harvest of crops, paving the way for fields to plant the next batch of crops. The practice is common in North Indian states such as Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. However, the process leads to a drastic dip in air quality, leading to it being the source of huge pollution.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai suggested strict forms of punishment could be introduced to curb such polluting activities. The chief justice wondered why cannot think of some penalty provisions against the practices.

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If some people are behind bars, it will send the correct message. Why don’t you think of some penalty provisions for agriculturists? If you have a real intention of protecting the environment, then why shy away? I had read in newspapers that this (stubble left behind by crops) could also be used as biofuels. We cannot make this a five-yearly exercise,” the chief justice said, adding that though farmers are special, the people eat because of them, it does not mean that the environment cannot be protected.