Following severe levels of air pollution in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) that has left people gasping, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday accused the Punjab Government of failing to control stubble burning that has deteriorated the air quality after October 25.
“The national capital has witnessed abnormal increase in pollution level after October 25 and this happens every year due to stubble burning during harvesting season. This is due to Punjab Government’s failure to stop cases of stubble burning,” said Kejriwal, AAP convener while talking to the mediapersons here.
Kejriwal, while showing satellite images of stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana to justify his claims said that the incidents of stubble burning are more in Punjab this year than in Haryana.
“The images show maximum number of cases of stubble burning in Bathinda, Amritsar and other districts in Punjab while in Haryana, this is limited to north Haryana in the areas around Ambala district only,” he said amid the political blame game over the rising air pollution in the national capital.
“The satellite image indicates stubble burning in several parts of Punjab and there cannot be a more scientific proof than this,” he said while lashing out at the Punjab Government for not providing its farmers enough assistance to stop cases of stubble burning this year.
Criticizing the Punjab Government and Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) for their claims regarding decline in stubble-burning cases this Kharif season, the Delhi Chief Minister said that satellite images show that stubble burning is mostly happening in Punjab.
The quality of air in the national capital deteriorates every year after October 25, once the farmers begin burning paddy stubble, he alleged
Continuing his tirade against the neighboring government, he said that every year this happens between October 25 and November 20 and pollution levels go up sharply in the national capital due to stubble burning.
Before October 25, the Air Quality Index (AQI) was below 200 but it has suddenly touched over 400 now. The AQI remained below 200 the entire year in the national capital but witness sharp increase during the harvesting season, he said.
We cannot blame the pollution due to vehicles and industries in Delhi for the current situation.
This is due to stubble burning only, he added.
Noting that not only Delhites but residents of the national capital region including Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad and surrounding places are also suffering due to the poor air quality, the AAP convener said that everyone will have to work responsibly and collectively to address the issue.
Blaming the Centre for the severe air pollution in Delhi, Kejriwal said that Union Minister Harsh Vardhan had assured him a few months ago that both Punjab and Haryana would get financial assistance to buy machines for managing stubble.
“The Union Minister had assured me that there is no need to worry as each village in Punjab and Haryana will be given grant to purchase four to five machines for management of stubble.
But nothing has happened… Why it did not happen, he has to answer?,” he said.
On his meeting with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on the issue of stubble burning last year, Kejriwal said that Manohar Lal had assured him to control cases of stubble burning this year and the satellite images showed that such cases have indeed declined in the state this time.
Notably, large number of farmers in Punjab and Haryana continue to defy the ban on stubble burning, claiming that they are “compelled” to do so in the absence of any financial support from the government for farm waste management.
According to a recent report by the Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), Punjab and Haryana contributed to 32 per cent of Delhi’s overall pollution on last Saturday.