A day after Arvind Kejriwal blamed stubble burning in Punjab for abnormal increase in pollution level in Delhi, state environment minister OP Soni on Friday asked him to look for the “internal reasons” for Delhi’s air pollution rather than blaming Punjab.
Taking strong cognisance of the Kejriwal’s statement blaming Punjab farmers for Delhi’s air pollution, Soni said the Delhi CM should see the scientific facts and logics before blaming hardworking farmers who have opted various means offered by the government to manage paddy stubble disowning the old practice of burning it in open fields.
The minister said that the average air quality index (AQI) of Punjab in the month of October remained below 170, while in Delhi it remained above 350. The average wind velocity remained below 1.5 kilometre (km) per hour and wind direction was from South East and going to North West but not towards Delhi.
“How can the air pollutants reach Delhi, which is about 250 km from Punjab border and that too crossing whole of Haryana, which is burning its stubble in open fields? ” he asked.
Soni said he was surprised to see that Kejriwal has exonerated Haryana because of certain political considerations though all the adjoining states of Delhi are burning their stubble in open fields.
“If farmers of the state polluted air quality of Delhi, then how come adjoining union territory Chandigarh survived?” he asked.
Soni further said that paddy is sown in 65 lakh acres in Punjab and till date only 21,000 fire incidents have been reported which are just 323 fire incidents per one lakh acre.
“If the average is calculated per village, it is just less than 2 fire incidents per village. Kejriwal must not blame Punjab farmers without going through the scientific facts, figures and logics,” the minister said.
Soni said that due to awareness amongst farmers, this year fire incidents reduced 35 percent than of the last year, while average air quality index of the state reduced to 105 points i.e. 170 than of 275 points of last year.
The minister advised Kejriwal not to go for blame game but to find out the reasons of air pollution within Delhi and try to get those reasons rectified so that Delhi and try to get those reasons rectified so that Delhites may breathe in fresh air.
Showing satellite images of stubble burning in Punjab, the Delhi CM had on Thursday said the incidents of stubble burning were more in Punjab this year than in Haryana.
“We have seen abnormal increase in pollution level after 25 October. Neither vehicular pollution has increased in Delhi after 25 October nor more industries have been set up and neither there has been a dust build up. The air quality has deteriorated due to stubble burning in Punjab,” he said.