PIB · Government of India ·

CAQM delegation visits Punjab's Moga district to review enforcement measures and district preparedness for paddy harvesting season

Distilled Policy Brief

  • The delegation visited identified hotspot villages to evaluate district administration readiness, preventive actions, and inter-departmental coordination.

🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points

CAQM is a statutory body established under the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021, holding jurisdiction over Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.

⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages

Examine the role of statutory monitoring bodies like CAQM in coordinating inter-state and ground-level actions to control seasonal stubble burning and Northern Indian air pollution.

🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill

Environment & Ecology

With reference to the measures for managing paddy crop residue and controlling stubble burning in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas, consider the following statements: 1. Enforcement strategies at the district level involve both in-situ and ex-situ management of paddy straw. 2. The availability and deployment of Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines form an integral part of preventive actions in identified hotspot villages. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  • [A] 1 only
  • [B] 2 only
  • [C] Both 1 and 2
  • [D] Neither 1 nor 2
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
✓ Correct Option: [C] Both 1 and 2

Both statements are correct. According to the policy briefing, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) team evaluated enforcement measures that include both effective in-situ and ex-situ paddy residue management as well as the availability and deployment of Crop Residue Management (CRM) machinery in identified hotspot villages.

Tark High-Yield Question Bank ⚡ Practice Full Test in Testing Arena ↗

🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)

UPSC Prelims 2021

Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.

Forensic Anchor: Cabinet Allocation of Business Rules & NCAP Framework
Examiner Trap Takeaway: UPSC swapped Central Pollution Control Board role with State Pollution Control Boards for state-level monitoring.

📚 Static Syllabus & Constitutional Linkages

Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM): Replaced the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) to provide a statutory, centralized mechanism for air quality governance in NCR and adjoining areas.
In-situ vs Ex-situ Management: In-situ management incorporates crop residue into the soil using machines like Happy Seeders, while ex-situ management removes residue for industrial, energy, or fodder consumption.