Why in news
- The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) deployed special Flying Squads across 34 districts in Punjab and Haryana.
- The deployment aims to enforce field-level prevention and real-time monitoring of paddy stubble burning from October to November.
Key terms
CAQM Act, 2021
Statutory central Act setting up a unified body for air quality planning and enforcement in NCR and contiguous areas.
In-situ Management
Managing crop residue directly within the agricultural field using machines like Happy Seeders and Super SMS.
Ex-situ Management
Removing residue from fields for industrial uses like biomass pelleting, bio-ethanol, and thermal power mixing.
Flying Squads
Inter-agency ground teams authorized to inspect and report environmental non-compliance directly to statutory bodies.
What is the CAQM statutory framework?
- Established under the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021.
- Possesses supreme statutory jurisdiction over air quality governance in NCR and adjoining areas of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and UP, superseding state body directives.
Key enforcement actions
- Deployed Flying Squads across 18 districts in Punjab and 16 districts in Haryana through CPCB coordination.
- Established direct links between field squads, local Parali Protection Forces, state pollution control boards, and central monitoring cells to report ground infractions directly.
Why it matters
- In-situ and ex-situ crop residue management oversight is critical to reducing severe winter haze and PM2.5 spikes in the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
Prelims facts
- CAQM directions override state pollution control boards and state government orders in cases of conflict.
Mains discussion
- Evaluation of legal and enforcement mechanisms in addressing transboundary air pollution in Northern India.
Source: PIB Press Release
Same topic · past papers
UPSC has asked this before
These previous-year questions sit on the same topic. Open one to practise the earlier ask.
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2026 · Q10 · General Studies · 2 marks
Consider the following statements about the Rigvedic period: I. Irrigation from wells allowed agriculture to expand away from flood plains and strips on river margins into the present Punjab and Haryana plains having underground water levels reasonably close to the surface. II. Draught-animal power was employed to draw up water out of the wells. Which of the following information support/supports the above statements? 1. There is evidence in the Rigveda of the use of ashma chakra (stone pulley wheel) and ahava (strapped wooden pails) to draw up water. 2. Mention has been made in the Rigveda of the use of implements like parashu/kulisha (axe) and datra/sreni (sickle). 3. There is a history of the use of ox, even before the Rigveda, for ploughing the land and pulling the carts -
2020 · Q48 · General Studies · 2 marks
Which of the following are the reasons/factors for exposure to benzene pollution? 1. Automobile exhaust 2. Tobacco smoke 3. Wood burning 4. Using varnished wooden furniture 5. Using products made of polyurethane Select the correct answer using the code given below: -
2020 · Q83 · General Studies · 2 marks
What is/are the advantage/ advantages of zero tillage in agriculture? 1. Sowing of wheat is possible without burning the residue of previous crop. 2. Without the need for nursery of rice saplings, direct planting of paddy seeds in the wet soil is possible. 3. Carbon sequestration in the soil is possible. Select the correct answer using the code given below: -
2019 · Q35 · General Studies · 2 marks
Consider the following: 1. Carbon monoxide 2. Methane 3. Ozone 4. Sulphur dioxide Which of the above are released into atmosphere due to the burning of crop/biomass residue? -
2015 · Q7 · GS II · 12 marks
Does the right to clean environment entail legal regulation on burning crackers during Diwali? Discus in the light of Article 21 of Indian Constitution and judgements of the apex in this regard.