Contrary to the stand adopted by its leaders in Delhi, the Punjab unit of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday said that the smog in the national capital was “not” due to stubble burning in the State, but is being caused by industrial and vehicle pollution.
“The burning of stubble in Amritsar and Gurdaspur doesn’t reach Delhi. There are other causes of huge smog in Delhi. This smog is not because of stubble burning but due to industrial and vehicle pollution,” said AAP MlA and the leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who led the farmers’ protest in ludhiana on October 15 against the ruling Congress, and burnt the paddy stubble.
Khaira’s statement came a day after Delhi Chief Minister and AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal sought a meeting with the Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana to resolve the issue of mounting pollution in the national capital.
“Farmers in Punjab are dying or are committing suicide because of colossal debt. Why is the government not implementing the National Green Tribunal (NGT) orderIJ The Government of India and the Punjab Government have been clearly directed to create a mechanism, give the farmers heavy tractors on rent. The government has done nothing in the last two years,” he claimed.
He also opposed the Punjab Government’s decision to book farmers allegedly involved in stubble burning.
Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has written to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking compensation for farmers for crop resident management, with a view to check stubble burning, one of the major contributors to the toxic smog currently hovering over northern India.
Pointing out that the current pollution crisis was largely triggered by the burning of paddy straw in the paddy-growing areas of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, Capt Amarinder had appealed to the Prime Minister to order a probe on priority and announce a plan for crop-related compensation at Rs 100 per quintal on wheat (above MSP), and later for paddy to incentivise farmers not to burn crop residue.