New Delhi : 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 news agency in an interview.
The minister's remarks come as Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) plummeted to hazardous levels, reaching over 350 on the morning after Diwali, classified as 'very poor', with peaks of 429 in some areas. 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. "Pollution also comes from Haryana and UP, not just Punjab... I did not single out Punjab. I said that they are being forced to burn the stubble... I myself have a farm in Haryana; My parents still do... Earlier, stubble had no buyers. Now factories are buying it. Central government gave funding to set up factories. Stubble is now being sold, not burnt... What is being burnt is forced," Sirsa added, crediting the central government initiatives to manage crop residue.
Earlier on Tuesday, Sirsa, during a press conference in the national capital, had accused AAP of "forcing" Punjab farmers to burn stubble. The minister showed videos of stubble burning in Punjab and alleged that farmers did not want to burn stubble but were being forced to do so.
"I want to show you how the Aam Aadmi Party is deliberately forcing farmers to burn stubble in Punjab by covering their faces... Farmers don't want to burn stubble, but they were told to do so. They've been forced to burn stubble by covering their faces, so that this stubble can have an impact on Delhi. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal spent ten years as Chief Minister, abusing the farmers of Punjab," he alleged.
On Sunday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) implemented Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the Delhi-NCR region. The CAQM stated that actions under Stages I and II of the existing GRAP shall be implemented, monitored, and reviewed diligently by all concerned agencies in the NCR to ensure that AQI levels do not deteriorate further.
Meanwhile, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 351 as of 4 pm on Tuesday, post Diwali celebrations. The pollution rate at Lodhi Road was 343; meanwhile, in Sirifort, it was 274. The AQI in Greater Noida and Ghaziabad was 282 and 324, respectively. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.