Environmental Protection vs. Livelihood Challenges | 21 Nov 2023

As a district magistrate in Punjab, you find yourself confronted with a significant increase in stubble burning within your administrative area. The Supreme Court, in response to the escalating pollution in the National Capital Region, has criticized the state chief secretary for the situation. Consequently, the chief secretary has instructed all district administrations, including yours, to take stringent measures against farmers engaging in stubble burning.

In response to this directive, the police in your district have filed indiscriminate First Information Reports (FIRs) against farmers. Predictably, this has sparked widespread protests from various farmers' unions. As the district administrator, you are cognizant of the fact that the district administration lacks a sufficient number of 'Baler machines' to meet the needs of all the farmers. This scarcity is exacerbating the problem by contributing to additional instances of stubble burning.

How can the district administration ethically navigate the conflicting demands of environmental protection and the livelihood challenges faced by farmers, particularly when resources are insufficient?