Delhi minister accuses Punjab government of worsening air pollution
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa alleged the AAP government is deliberately burning stubble to impact Delhi's air quality.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa alleged on Tuesday that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab is intentionally setting crop residue on fire to increase pollution in the national capital. According to reports by Times Now and The News Mill, Sirsa claimed that Punjab Police and state officials are involved in stubble burning rather than preventing it.
Sirsa stated that 271 FIRs were registered against unidentified persons despite more than 1,000 stubble-burning incidents being reported in Punjab. He further alleged that the AAP leadership, including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, is seeking revenge after losing power in Delhi. He also criticised the appointment of AAP spokesperson Reena Gupta as chairperson of the Punjab Pollution Control Board, stating she lacks a technical background.
The minister claimed that the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Punjab has reached extreme levels, noting that Bathinda reached 1,100 and Barnala recorded 1,244. He warned that western disturbances could carry this pollution to Delhi. Data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) showed that on November 2, satellites detected 219 crop-residue burning incidents across seven states, with Punjab accounting for 98.
AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj responded by accusing the BJP government of placing AQI monitoring stations in low-traffic areas like forests to artificially lower pollution readings. AAP National In-charge Anurag Dhanda also criticised Sirsa, stating that Delhi is currently shrouded in pollution clouds while the sky in Punjab remains clear.
