Delhi minister accuses Punjab government of facilitating stubble burning
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa alleged that Punjab Police personnel were helping set crop residue on fire to increase pollution.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government on Tuesday of deliberately facilitating stubble burning, which contributes to pollution in Delhi-NCR. According to reports by The Indian Express and The News Mill, Sirsa alleged that Punjab Police personnel were present at several locations helping to set crop residue on fire.
Sirsa cited data showing more than 900 farm fires in Punjab between October 26 and November 1, 2026. He noted that during this period, Punjab recorded 103 fires on October 26, 33 on October 27, 98 on October 28, 194 on October 29, 292 on October 30 and 31 combined, and 175 on November 1. In contrast, he stated that Haryana reported 18 incidents, Uttar Pradesh 59, and Delhi only one.
The minister also criticised the appointment of Reena Gupta as chairperson of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB). Sirsa, who described Gupta as a close relative of AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and a former party spokesperson, alleged that her appointment as a non-technical person would lead to the fudging of pollution data.
Regarding financial assistance, Sirsa noted that the Centre had provided Rs 5,000 crore to address the issue. The News Mill reported that under the Crop Residue Management scheme, the Centre has released Rs 2,056.50 crore to Punjab from 2018-19 to 2025-26, and Rs 430.87 crore of the Rs 592.57 crore allocated for 2026-27 has been disbursed.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) recently invoked Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) after air quality in the capital entered the ‘Very Poor’ category. The watchdog attributed this deterioration to unfavourable meteorological conditions.