New Delhi: Delhi’s air quality has deteriorated sharply in just five days, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) rising from 60 on October 30 to nearly 400 on November 5. As the national capital battles worsening pollution, a political blame game has erupted, with Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa blaming Punjab’s stubble burning and accusing Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of misleading people.
Addressing the media at the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) in Shastri Park on Thursday, Sirsa challenged Mann’s claims about paddy harvesting and stubble burning. He said 77 per cent of the stubble had already been burnt, according to data from the Punjab government itself.
“Yesterday, Bhagwant Mann held a press conference and falsely claimed that the harvesting of paddy has not yet begun; however, according to the data provided by his own government, 77 per cent of the stubble (parali) has already been burnt,” he said.
As Delhi Chokes, Sirsa Points Finger At Punjab
Sirsa highlighted the sharp deterioration in Delhi’s air quality over four days, questioning how pollution levels had risen so quickly.
“On October 30, the AQI in Delhi was 60; it rose to 117 on October 31, and by November 4, it reached 377. What happened in just four days to cause such severe pollution in the air that the people of Delhi had worked hard all year to keep it clean? When the air in Delhi was clean, the burning of stubble (parali) had not yet begun in Punjab,” he said.
The Delhi minister also cited an increase in reported farm fires in Punjab. He said the number of incidents had risen from 92 to 484, accusing the Punjab government of failing to control stubble burning.
“When the air in Delhi was clean, the burning of stubble had not yet begun in Punjab. When I held a press conference on November 2, only 92 fire incidents were reported; however, by yesterday, November 3, the figure reached 484. This is the highest number recorded so far, double the figures seen over the last two years,” he said.
Sirsa also referred to data from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), alleging that 2,196 fire locations had been identified and 494 FIRs registered. He claimed that action was being taken against farmers while officials responsible for enforcement were not facing similar action.
Sirsa Targets AAP Government Over Stubble Burning
Sirsa also accused the AAP government of politicising environmental oversight by appointing party spokesperson Reena Gupta as the chairperson of the Punjab Pollution Control Board. He questioned her administrative and environmental credentials.
“These are not just my own figures; they come from the Punjab Pollution Control Board. Arvind Kejriwal has appointed his own relative, who is also an AAP spokesperson (Reena Gupta), as the chairperson of this board. She is not from Punjab, nor is she an IAS officer or an environmentalist. She has been placed there solely to turn the Punjab Pollution Control Board into a political arena for the party. According to the data, 494 FIRs have been registered, and fires have been set at 2,196 locations,” he said.
“The Punjab Pollution Control Board itself admits that no charge sheets are being filed against the officials; instead, cases are being registered only against the farmers,” he added.
The Delhi minister further referred to notices issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to the Deputy Commissioners of Bathinda, Fazilka, Jalandhar and Barnala over alleged concealment of farm fire data.
Sirsa questioned why the Punjab administration was not being held accountable for the reported incidents.
“The Modi government provided Rs 5,000 crore to the Punjab government for ‘Happy Seeders’ and other agricultural equipment. The Punjab government has misappropriated these funds and is now filing cases against the farmers. On November 4, the CAQM told the Deputy Commissioners of Bathinda, Fazilka, Jalandhar, and Barnala that they are concealing data; fires are burning in their districts, yet they are failing to stop them. Why, then, should they not be held responsible?” he asked.
“If no fires are actually taking place, then how is the Punjab government providing these figures?” he questioned.
Bureau Report
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