UP pollution control board won't intervene in 'ceremony' where 50,000 kg wood will be burnt to curb air pollution

In a bid to curb pollution, a group in Meerut has decided to burn 50,000 kg of wood during Navratri, raising concerns whether the initiative would be a success.

Shri Ayutchandi Mahayagya Samiti is trying to contribute its bit by burning 500 quintals or 50,000 kg of mango tree wood as a part of the "mahayagya", news agency ANI reported.

The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board has refused to intervene because the ritual is related to religion, according to The Times of India.  “Burning such large quantities of wood will definitely cause pollution,” the board’s Meerut Regional Officer RK Tyagi told the newspaper. “But there is no policy under which an inquiry can be initiated in this matter. So there is little that we can do. It will also be inappropriate for me to comment on the event.”  

Earlier, Rajya Sabha members today sought concerted efforts by the government to deal with rising pollution levels in Delhi and its adjoining areas. The members also asked the government to refrain from putting the blame on farmers for causing pollution by burning stubble or husk after harvest and suggested steps to help the farmers for proper disposals of this agriculture residue.

Initiating a short duration discussion on the issue, former SP leader Naresh Agarwal said, "farmers are blamed for causing pollution by burning stubble/husk. The government should take steps to deal with the situation rather than blaming farmers because vehicle/industrial emissions and others area also the reasons for it."

A Greenpeace report highlighted how coal power plants had affected Mumbai's pollution levels last month. AQI levels had reached close to 170. An AQI between 150 and 200 is considered unhealthy, while 201 to 300 is very unhelthy and anything above 300 is considered hazardous.

Air pollution has been cited as the second leading health risk factor in India in the study titled "India State-level Disease Burden" published in The Lancet journal last year. The risk factor encompassed both outdoor air pollution from a variety of sources as well as household air pollution.

"While the total burden from air pollution in India declined between 1990 and 2016, this was largely driven by efforts to reduce the use of solid fuels in households. Outdoor air pollution continues to pose a significant and growing challenge to population health," the study said. It mentioned that the burden due to outdoor air pollution is highest in northern states, including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar, and West Bengal.