Pakistan Punjab govt jumps in Kejriwal-Amarinder fight over Delhi pollution

The government of Pakistan's Punjab province has urged Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh to take steps to put an end to stubble burning in fields.

IndiaToday.in  | Edited by Prabhash K Dutta
New Delhi, November 9, 2017 | UPDATED 19:25 IST

Pakistan has suddenly become interested in Delhi's pollution. The provincial government of Pakistani Punjab has come out in support of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urging Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh to take steps to stop crop residue burning.

Responding to a tweet put out by Arvind Kejriwal, the official handle of Pakistani Punjab government said, "We have imposed a ban on stubble burning in (Pakistan) and hope @capt_amarinder takes similar measures."

The tweet contains a link enlisting the "medium/long term action plan to combat SMOG" undertaken by Pakistani Punjab government. "Environmental hazards threaten our people and habitat. Let us act fast to counter it," the tweet further read.

Earlier, Arvind Kerjwial wrote on Twitter, "(I) Am writing letters to CMs of Punjab and Haryana requesting them for a meeting to find solns (sic) to crop burning."

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal today sought a meeting with his counterparts in Punjab and Haryana to discuss ways to tackle the alarming air pollution levels in Delhi.

KEJRIWAL WRITES TO CAPTAIN, KHATTAR

In letters to the chief ministers of Haryana and Punjab, Kejriwal said the governments in the neighbouring states had failed to provide farmers with viable alternatives to stubble burning, a process that leads to air pollution in Delhi.

Delhi's air quality was the season's worst yesterday as the combined effect of smoke from stubble burning - setting fire to straw stubble after a harvest -- and moisture turned the city into what Kejriwal called a "gas chamber".

"You are aware about the poor air quality in Delhi. It has become difficult to breath. Delhi has become a gas chamber and I had to order the closure of schools in Delhi to save young children from the adverse effect of poor air quality," Kejriwal said in identical letters to Manohar Lal Khattar of Haryana and Captain Amarinder Singh of Punjab.

The Delhi chief minister said one of the main reasons for the poor quality of Delhi's air this time of the year was the stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana. "Farmers are helpless. In the absence of any economically viable alternative, they are forced to burn stubbles," Kejriwal said, adding that the governments had failed to provide them with viable solutions.

Kejriwal also offered to jointly work with Punjab and Haryana to resolve the issue "in a spirit of mutual cooperation in larger public interest". Kejriwal further said, "In this connection, I want to meet you in the next couple of days for a discussion. I invite you to my office or I can come to you. Please let me know your convenience."

(With PTI inputs)