Punjab farm fires trigger political row between BJP and AAP
A sharp rise in stubble-burning incidents in Punjab has led to allegations of conspiracy and data manipulation between political parties.
Nearly 200 new stubble-burning incidents were reported in Punjab on Monday, according to a monitoring report from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). This brings the total number of fires for the current paddy harvesting season to 4,657.
The surge follows a significant spike on Sunday, when the state recorded 1,152 farm fires. According to reports from Hindustan Times and ThePrint, this means almost 30 per cent of the season's total fires occurred within a 48-hour period.
Delhi Labour Minister Kapil Mishra of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that the fires on November 8 were a conspiracy. Mishra claimed that individuals were entering fields to set them ablaze while farmers celebrated Diwali and suggested that the phone records of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders in the region should be investigated.
AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj dismissed these claims, stating that smoke requires two to three days to travel from Punjab to Delhi. Bharadwaj accused the Delhi government of committing fraud by manipulating Air Quality Index (AQI) data and suggested that water was being sprayed near monitoring stations to influence readings.
The CAQM data indicated that Ludhiana recorded the most fresh incidents on Monday with 33. In terms of cumulative seasonal totals, Tarn Taran has the highest number of fires at 659.
Enforcement actions have also increased, with environmental compensation imposed in 1,442 cases. The number of FIRs filed regarding these incidents has risen to 938.