Kejriwal lauds Haryana, blames Punjab for pollution

“If there are farm fires in Punjab where has polluted air flown to? Does Punjab mean that vehicular pollution increased manifold and more industries came up overnight which resulted in thick haze?”he asked.

Lauding Haryana’s efforts to control stubble burning of the harvested paddy crop, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday blamed the Punjab government for worsening air quality index (AQI) of the national capital.

Kejriwal told the media that the AQI of Delhi worsened from around 200 to 400 after October 25 and attributed it to stubble burning in Punjab.

Kejriwal, also the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), rubbished the claims of Punjab government of improvement in the AQI and showed satellite images of stubble burning dotting Punjab. “The images show stubble burning in Bathinda, Amritsar and other districts in Punjab. In Haryana, this is limited to north Haryana in the areas around Ambala district,” Kejriwal said.

“If there are farm fires in Punjab where has polluted air flown to? Does Punjab mean that vehicular pollution increased manifold and more industries came up overnight which resulted in thick haze?”he asked.

The Delhi CM added that Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had earlier assured him during a meeting that his government was making multipronged efforts including distribution of stubble management equipment for the farmers this season.