Delhi, a city of about 2 inhabitants, ranks as the most polluted capital in the world.
New Delhi:
Delhi Prime Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s efforts to corner Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the shocking levels of air pollution in the capital and the rest of northern India drew him strong criticism from the Union Environment Minister. strong on Wednesday.
In a scathing attack on Mr Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Union Minister Bhupender Yadav blamed the party for turning the capital into a “gas chamber” and accused it of a “hoax”. island”.
“As of today, Punjab, a state run by the AAP government, has seen the number of farm fires increase by more than 19% compared to 2021. Haryana has decreased by 30.6%. Just today, Punjab has seen 3,634 fires. Undoubtedly turned Delhi into a gas chamber,” Yadav wrote on Twitter.
Take this sample: As of today, Punjab, a state run by the AAP government, has seen an increase of more than 19% in the number of farm fires in 2021. Haryana has seen a decrease of 30.6%.
Just today, Punjab has seen 3,634 fires.
There is no doubt who turned Delhi into a gas chamber.
Wondering how? Continue reading … pic.twitter.com/Nh8fYN9gnf
– Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) November 2, 2022
“The scam lies in AAP. Over the past 5 years, the Central Government has granted Rs 1,347 crore for crop residue management machines to Punjab. The state has purchased 1,20,000 machines. 11,275 of them have been lost. analysis. The use of money shows obvious incompetence,” he alleged.
“Last year, Rs 212 crore was still not consumed. This year the Central Governor granted Punjab Rs 280 crore for crop residue management machine. So around Rs 492 was available but state government has choosing to sit with the fund forced helpless farmers to burn them, the minister wrote.
“Prime Minister of Punjab can’t even bail out farmers in his own Sangrur. Last year (September 15 to November 2) the farm fires in Sangrur were 1,266. This year they have increased by 139 percent to 3,025” Mr Yadav said, targeting Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
The minister’s accusations come after Delhi Prime Minister Arvind Kejriwal questioned Prime Minister Modi on the matter.
“Pollution is a problem for the whole of Northern India. UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is almost the same everywhere. Delhi-Punjab has widespread pollution. Why doesn’t the Prime Minister convene an all-state meeting on this?” he told reporters.
Pollution North India – UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, MP AQI क्या Delhi-Punjab ने पूरे ?
PM Meeting क्यों नहीं कर रहे?
Parali Proposal किया
-CM @ArvindKejriwalpic.twitter.com/LJL73DvLoy
– AAP (@AamAadmiParty) November 2, 2022
“The center is not helping farmers, only filing FIRs against them. They rejected our proposal to solve the problem of burning stubble. Only politics is going on about this, nobody talks about it. solution,” added Mr. Kejriwal.
The exchange came on a day when smoke from farm fires contributed to 32 percent of the harmful microscopic PM 2.5 lung pollution in the city’s air – the highest level in the past two years over a period of time. from mid-October to early November, according to data from the Department of Earth Science.
PM 2.5 are fine particles that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter and can travel deep into the respiratory tract, to the lungs, and into the bloodstream.
The Air Quality Management Board last week said the increase in straw burnings in Punjab this year “is a matter of concern”. Along with adverse meteorological conditions, the burning of straw in the adjoining states was the main cause of the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital during October and November.
Farmers set fires in their fields to quickly clear crop residues before planting wheat and vegetables.
