Arvind Kejriwal shows the satellite image of stubble fires during a press conference in Chandigarh Thursday. Photo by Jaipal Singh.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Thursday blamed the stubble burning in Punjab for rising air pollution in National Capital Region, even as he gave a clean chit to Haryana, besides accusing the Centre of not providing straw management machines to farmers.
Addressing a press conference here Thursday, Kejriwal showed a satellite photograph depicting fires due to stubble burning. He said that while very little area in north Haryana had stubble fires, large parts of Punjab could be seen as affected. “If you see honestly, then there are just a few places of Haryana in it. In Punjab, stubble is being burnt in the entire area, especially Bathinda and Amritsar,” he said.
He questioned Union Minister of Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan, who Kejriwal said, had assured him that the farmers in Punjab and Haryana would get grants to buy machines for managing stubble. “He had assured me that there was no need to worry this year as each village in Punjab and Haryana will be given grant to purchase four to five machines. Why did it not happen? He will have to answer,” he said.
Kejriwal also blamed the officials of Punjab government for “making irresponsible statements”. “Yesterday (Wednesday), I heard a statement of Punjab Pollution Control Board chairman saying that stubble was not being burnt in the state and that air quality index of the state was good. These pictures show stubble being burnt. Where is all this smoke going? Is it disappearing and directly going to Pakistan? Someone said the wind direction is towards Rajasthan, so why the state is not getting polluted? Irresponsible statements will not bring a solution to this problem,” he said.
Kejriwal added that his government had worked hard throughout the year to bring down the levels of pollution, but each year the quality of air deteriorates after October 25 when the stubble burning starts. “Because of the efforts of the Delhi government and its people, pollution levels remained under control the whole year. I am not saying it is a good figure, but it remained below 200. And now it has jumped suddenly to over 400 after October 25. Overnight more vehicles or new industries have not been added or a duststorm has come. It happens each year and stubble burning is the cause of it,” he said.