Even as air pollution in Delhi remains in severe category, AAP leaders refuse to accept that the rampant stubble burning in Punjab is partly responsible for this. On Sunday (5th November), Delhi environment minister and AAP leader Gopal Rai said that the incidents of stubble burning in Punjab are halved and the smoke from the stubble burning in Punjab has no impact on the air pollution in Delhi. The AAP minister further claimed that wind is not carrying smoke from Punjab to Delhi, but smoke from stubble burning in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh was reaching Delhi which is responsible for the poor air quality index in the national capital.
Gopal Rai said, “As far as stubble burning is concerned, it is very necessary to first understand it. Because it exposes the failure of the BJP. Delhi is surrounded by the BJP-ruled states. The meteorology department of the union government says that the wind speed is very low. If the wind speed is this low, then the air pollution in north India and Delhi primarily contains vehicular pollution, dust particles, biomass pollutants, and stubble smoke”
#WATCH | On Delhi Pollution, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai says, "…Central government figures show that less stubble has been burnt in Punjab this year in comparison to last year. Punjab's stubble smoke does not have as much impact on Delhi as that of Haryana and Uttar… pic.twitter.com/NLEZk0YIhb
— ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2023
Gopal Rai further said, “In these four factors, the stubble burning in Punjab this year is halved as compared to the last year. But the fact is that the stubble is burning. Punjab’s stubble smoke does not have as much impact on Delhi as that of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. This is because there is no movement in the wind. Only if the wind blows, the smoke of Punjab will reach Delhi. Right now there is smoke all around Delhi. The smoke of stubble from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh is reaching Delhi.”
On Friday (3rd November), Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that BS3 petrol and BS4 diesel vehicles coming from Uttar Pradesh have been contributing to the deterioration of the air quality index in the national capital. Now, he has added the stubble burning incidents in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to the list of factors contributing to Delhi’s pollution according to him.
Gopal Rai’s claims are not backed by data
However, since there is an AAP government in Punjab, Gopal Rai directly gave a clean chit to the stubble-burning incidents in Punjab, claiming that the number of stubble-burning incidents in Punjab has halved in a year. He also cited the low wind speed to assert that the smoke from Pujnab does not reach Delhi.
AAP has been saying that stubble burning has come down heavily in Punjab, but satellite images show it is a complete lie. Fire maps released by NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System show very high levels of fire incidents in Punjab, while such incidents are negligible in neighbouring Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
While stubble incidents were seen in both Punjab and Haryana last month, it has decreased considerably in Haryana but has increased in Punjab. With the advent of the dry season, it is causing havoc in the NCR region, covering the entire region in thick fog.
In fact, Punjab has seen a sudden spike in stubble-burning incidents since October 29, while Haryana has been witnessing a downward trend largely due to strict enforcement, real-time reporting and the deployment of district and block-level enforcement teams. As many as 5,140 farm fire incidents were reported in the first three days of November.
Gopal Rai also claimed that no wind is blowing from Punjab towards Delhi, and the wind is blowing into Delhi from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh only. However, wind maps show that this is a complete lie.
The wind maps clearly show wind blowing from northwest to southeast in the north India region. So smoke from both Punjab and Haryana is reaching Delhi. But, contrary to the AAP leader’s claim, smoke from UP can’t reach Delhi at present, as the wind is blowing in the opposite direction.
Severe air pollution in Delhi
On Sunday (5th November), Delhi’s air quality index remained above 400, signifying severe air pollution. Residents of Delhi-NCR have been breathing hazardous air for days. According to CPCB data, the air quality index (AQI) at Ayanagar was 464, in Dwarka Sector-8 it was 486, in Jahangirpuri it was 473, and around IGI Airport (T3) it was 489 lately.
All emergency measures, including a restriction on polluting trucks, commercial four-wheelers, and all sorts of construction, must be launched and enforced in the National Capital Region if the AQI exceeds 450, according to the Centre’s air pollution management plan.
