New Delhi [India], November 18 : Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday sparked a debate on Delhi's air pollution, attributing it to the contributions of local and neighbouring states.
He claimed that smoke from Punjab doesn't reach Delhi, citing wind patterns, and points fingers at Haryana, Rajasthan, UP, and Delhi's own pollution.
Criticising the BJP government over rising pollution in Delhi and addressing allegations that Punjab's smoke is responsible for the worsening air quality in the national capital at a press conference, the Chief Minister asserted that smoke from Punjab does not even reach Delhi.
Mann highlighted that Punjab's paddy harvesting isn't the culprit, as Delhi's AQI hit 400 before harvesting began. He adds that 99% of Punjab's rice is exported, and it's not a staple food for locals.
"The smoke from Punjab doesn't even reach Delhi. For smoke to travel from Punjab to Delhi in 10 days, it requires wind blowing from North to South at 30 kmph, which never happens...The smoke that travels to Delhi stays over Connaught Place! What a joke!.. There are Haryana, Rajasthan and UP neighbouring Delhi, plus Delhi's own pollution...Even before paddy harvesting began in Punjab, Delhi's AQI reached 400... 99% of the paddy harvested in Punjab is sent across the country, rice is not even a staple food for people of Punjab..." said Mann.
Meanwhile, the national capital woke up to a thick layer of toxic smog on Tuesday morning, with an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 341 at 7 AM, placing it in the "very poor" category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The Air Quality Index has shown little to no improvement from Monday morning, when it was recorded at 351 at 7 am in the "very poor" category, according to CPCB data.
According to the CPCB, Dhaula Kuan recorded an AQI of 365, categorising it in the "very poor" category, whereas Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 381 in the same category.
The Ghazipur area was also covered in smog with an AQI reaching 345, falling in the "very poor" category. Akshardham also remained in the "very poor" category, as the AQI reached 381 in the region, according to the CPCB.
As per CPCB classification, an AQI between 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'.
Earlier, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa intensified the political blame game over the capital's worsening air quality, accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government of "forcing" farmers to burn crop residue despite central incentives, with a surge in incidents timed to spike pollution post-Diwali.
"In Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party is in power. Farmers don't want to burn stubble. They even get paid for it now, so that they don't burn it. But they're being forced to burn it. It's printed in today's newspaper. Most incidents happened yesterday. People were masked and made to do it. There's a video of an AAP worker saying, 'We are being forced to burn it.' Who's forcing them? Not us. BJP can't force anyone in Punjab," Sirsa told ANI in an interview.
Sirsa highlighted a perceived "role reversal" by AAP, noting that former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had previously detailed how stubble smoke from Punjab affects Delhi, accusing the opposition of hypocrisy in deflecting from their governance failures."Earlier, Kejriwal himself used to explain how stubble from Punjab causes pollution in Delhi. He even used to show charts explaining: How stubble smoke travels, the speed at which it moves, and How long it takes to reach Delhi. Now the same people are silent when they're in power," he said.
The Minister clarified that pollution sources extend beyond Punjab, including Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.