Delhi-NCR pollution: BJP attacks CM Kejriwal, AAP in Punjab

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 17

The BJP on Saturday attacked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his AAP leaders in Punjab, accusing them of doing nothing to control air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region.

While also holding Congress’ Punjab government responsible for the situation in the Capital region, BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma said maximum incidents of stubble burning in 2019 were reported from AAP MP Bhagwant Maan’s constituency Sangrur which also has maximum number of AAP MLAs. 

“Reportedly, the maximum incidence of stubble burning in 2019 came from Sangrur (Punjab). This happens to be the Lok Sabha constituency of AAP MP Bhagwant Maan and five out of nine Assembly constituencies in Sangrur have AAP MLAs.

“Interestingly, Delhi Government says something in Delhi but the opposite in Punjab. Has the LOP in Punjab Harpal Cheema from AAP done anything to tackle the problem of stubble burning in Punjab,” she questioned.

Nupur said the BJP-led Haryana government announced Rs 1,304 crore programme to manage crop residue and is also buying ‘parali’ at Rs 50 per quintal from the farmers to incentivise and deal with the issue of stubble burning. “The burning question in the issue of burning of stubble is what has the Punjab government done to deal with the problem? And more importantly what has the chief of the always alleging party AAP done,” she said.

Quoting the IIT Kanpur study of 2015, according to which main factors that contribute to air pollution in Delhi are road dust (38%) vehicles (20%), domestic sources (12%), the BJP leader said 70% of Delhi’s air pollution woes are local factors. “Why then does the Delhi Government always look towards Punjab and Haryana to shift the blame of pollution management on Central Government? The truth the Central Government, apart from earmarking Rs 1,600 crore this year to tackle the problem of air pollution in Delhi- NCR and stubble burning, has undertaken various programmes,” she said, recounting measure like construction of Eastern and Western peripheral expressways, etc.

“This is in addition to the multiple meetings started by the Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar with environment ministers of five states namely Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, UP, Rajasthan to tackle the problem of environment pollution,” she said. 

“When the Delhi Government allocates a meagre Rs 52 crore in a Rs 65,000 crore Budget for environment, spends nil from the Rs 787 crore from the environment cess, it receives in 2017, admittedly rents only 3 road vacuum cleaning machines, but spends upwards of Rs 73 crore on advertisements and self-promotion within the months of July and August only, it is clear where CM Kejriwal priorities lie,” she said.

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