Delhi Environment Minister Slams Punjab Govt Over Rising Stubble Burning Incidents
New Delhi: Tensions between the Delhi and Punjab administrations have flared once again as Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab. Sirsa accused the state leadership of orchestrating a campaign of misinformation regarding stubble burning, asserting that the surge in farm fires across Punjab is the primary driver behind the capital’s plummeting air quality.
Allegations of Misinformation
Addressing the media on Thursday, Sirsa pointed to a glaring contradiction in official narratives. He challenged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s recent statement claiming that paddy harvesting had yet to commence in Punjab. Sirsa presented data indicating that 77% of the harvesting work has already been completed, dismissing the Chief Minister’s claims as an attempt to evade accountability.
Furthermore, Sirsa criticized the state government’s shifting stance on the transboundary nature of air pollution. He recalled a 2022 joint press conference featuring both Bhagwant Mann and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, where both leaders openly acknowledged that smoke from agricultural fires drifts across state borders, impacting air quality in the national capital.
A Sharp Spike in Pollution
The minister highlighted a concerning correlation between the sudden deterioration of Delhi’s air and the spike in farm fires. Data presented by Sirsa revealed that Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) worsened from a relatively healthy 60 on October 30 to a hazardous 350 in just four days. During this identical timeframe, satellite data showed a significant uptick in stubble-burning incidents.
According to the latest reports, November 3 recorded 584 farm fires—the highest single-day count for the current season. This stands in stark contrast to the 292 incidents reported on the same date last year. Official data from the Punjab Pollution Control Board corroborates the severity of the situation, noting 2,196 total fire incidents and the registration of 494 FIRs.
Accountability and Enforcement
Sirsa accused the Punjab administration of adopting a lopsided enforcement strategy. He alleged that while the state is quick to penalize individual farmers, the government officials tasked with curbing the burning are being shielded from scrutiny.
The minister also raised concerns regarding the mismanagement of central funds. He claimed that the Union government had disbursed ₹5,000 crore to Punjab specifically for the procurement of agricultural machinery like happy seeders and balers. He alleged that the state government failed to distribute this equipment effectively, leaving farmers without viable alternatives to burning crop residue.
The gravity of the situation has prompted intervention from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), which has summoned deputy commissioners and senior police officials from multiple Punjab districts to explain the failure in containment efforts.
Public Health and Restrictions
Amid the crisis, Sirsa addressed the residents of the National Capital Region (NCR), offering an apology for the inconvenience caused by strict vehicle emission norms, which include restricted entry for vehicles below BS-VI standards. He maintained that these measures are necessary to safeguard public health.
“Delhi has recorded 220 days of clean air this year, proving that our local mitigation efforts are working,” Sirsa stated. “The sudden dip in quality is not due to local construction or industry, but the influx of smoke carried by winds from Punjab.”
He concluded by urging citizens in the NCR to cooperate with the traffic restrictions, emphasizing that regional vehicular emissions significantly impact the collective breathing space of the capital. As of now, the Punjab government has issued no formal response to these allegations.
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