Punjab Chief Secy to MC Commissioners, PPCB: pull up your socks, ensure zero waste burning, strictly fine violators in Punjab
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ December 1,2025
The Chief Secretary K. A. P. Sinha on Monday taking cognisance of open garbage burning called a meeting of all Municipal Commissioners of Punjab to stop open waste burning. The meeting was initiated by the Punjab Pollution Control Board.
Sinha directed the Commissioners and PPCB officials to coordinate with the respective offices to work on a mission mode with all the municipal commissions, Nagar Panchayats, Nagar Councils, municipal committees, horticulture departments to sensitize waste workers and other field teams against open waste burning and its harmful impacts on health and climate.
All awareness campaigns must begin from immediate effect. Any case of open municipal waste or dry leaves burning found would be fined as per the NGT directions upto Rs 25000.
“With winter onset, there is a high possibility of people burning waste, which would lead to poor AQI. Open waste burning releases harmful air contaminants such as particulate matter, black carbon, carbon monoxide and dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and other toxic compounds including heavy metals. Short- and long-term exposure to these results in a myriad of adverse health effects: coughing, eye, nose and skin irritation to begin with.
Under our visionary Punjab Clean Air Programme, such practices won’t be tolerated,” states Reena Gupta, Chairperson of the Board adding that over the next 10 days, PPCB will conduct sensitisation training of all frontline workers.
Taking cognisance from social media and news, the Board has already taken action last week in Patiala and Mohali against defaulting individuals and administrations. The Board has also conducted waste workers training in Patiala in early November.
