Sirsa blames Punjab stubble burning for worsening Delhi pollution
The Delhi Environment Minister accused the Punjab government of misleading the public regarding farm fires and paddy harvesting progress.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has blamed stubble burning in Punjab for the deteriorating air quality in the national capital. According to reports from The Tribune and Hindustan Times, Sirsa alleged that the Punjab government is misleading the public regarding the scale of farm fires and paddy harvesting.
Sirsa claimed that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann falsely stated paddy harvesting had not started, whereas state data showed 77.38 per cent of the paddy area had been harvested by November 2. He noted that Delhi's Air Quality Index rose from 60 on October 30 to 377 on November 4, while Punjab recorded 584 farm fires on November 3.
The minister further alleged that the Punjab government failed to ensure the availability of equipment like happy seeders and balers, despite the Centre releasing Rs 5,000 crore for such procurement. He also questioned the state's claim of a 90 per cent reduction in stubble burning, citing a cumulative tally of 2,196 incidents.
Under GRAP Stage III restrictions, Sirsa said BS-IV and older diesel vehicles and BS-III and older petrol vehicles would not be allowed to operate in Delhi. Restrictions also apply to certain diesel-run heavy and light commercial vehicles. Schools up to Class V must adopt a hybrid mode in Delhi and parts of the NCR, including Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurugram, and Sonipat.
Separately, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Devender Yadav accused the Rekha Gupta government of failing to implement its Winter Action Plan on the ground. Yadav claimed the plan has remained only on paper and demanded concrete action to address vehicular emissions and road dust.