Dense smog covers Ludhiana: Political slugfest starts after Vice-President Dhankhar’s plane fails to land due to ‘poor visibility’

While Ludhiana deputy commissioner Jitendra Jorwal claimed that the V-P’s aircraft could not make a landing in Halwara due to “foggy conditions”, the experts at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), where Dhankhar was to attend the event, said that “smog accompanied by hazy sunshine” have led to poor visibility conditions.

This also sparked a political slugfest with BJP leader and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu saying it was “big shame” and a “bigger irony” that the Vice-President failed to attend a programme on climate change “due to smog and air pollution”. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party, however, hit back at Bittu saying that he only knows how to give “controversial statements”.

From September 15 till November 11, Punjab has seen a total of 7,029 stubble burning incidents, as per the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre data — much lower than over 24,0000 recorded last year in the corresponding period. Crop residue burning in Punjab and Haryana is often blamed for the rise in air pollution in Delhi after harvesting of the paddy crop in October and November.

During the thick smog commuters at Ferozepur road in Ludhiana on Tuesday. (Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh12.11. 2024)

The air quality in many parts of Punjab and neighbouring Haryana has remained in the ‘poor’ category over last few days, with Ludhiana recording an AQI of 223 at 8 pm and 209 at 4 pm Tuesday — it was 203 on Monday.

Meanwhile, Dhankhar was to preside over as chief guest at the inaugural function of ‘International Conference 2024: Transforming Agrifood Systems in Face of Climate Changes and Energy Transitions’ at PAU. Later he was also scheduled to attend the 32nd edition of Sat Paul Mittal National Awards.

As his aircraft failed to land, Ludhiana deputy commissioner Jitendra Jorwal said: “The conditions were foggy leading to low visibility so V-P’s aircraft was diverted to Amritsar. The plan was to try landing at Halwara again after some time but conditions did not improve and he had to return”.

Ludhiana police commissioner Kuldeep Singh Chahal too said: “It was fog”.

Speaking to The Indian Express, KK Gill, the principal agrometeorologist at PAU said that “the polluting dust and aerosol particles” were hanging in the air since Diwali “leading to smog and hazy sunshine” conditions.

“The stubble burning is adding to the problem. Since the wind speed is also minimal, the pollutants including aerosols and dust particles are entangled in the air leading to smog and low visibility. These dust particles are from firecrackers and paddy straw burning both. Due to hazy conditions, sunshine is not reaching the earth’s surface. Low wind speed is aggravating the problem and the pollutants are not shifting. Foggy conditions require lower than normal temperatures but currently it is above normal and nights are warm. There might be little fog due to high moisture levels in the mornings, so it can be a mixture of both smog and fog which might have led to poor visibility. But the intense fogging happens only when temperatures fall in the night,” said Gill.

Bittu, meanwhile, blamed “smog blanket prevailing over Punjab” as the reason for Dhankar’s cancelled visit and said that “it was tragic and unfortunate to see the current situation of Punjab.”

“The international experts have arrived at PAU to participate in a conference on climate change including the Punjab Governor and CM (Bhagwant Mann), and our V-P had to lead the conference, but such was the smog that his aircraft could not land in Punjab… he kept trying for 45 minutes for landing at Ludhiana and Amritsar but failed…Such is the condition of smog…this is alarming. Pakistan to Delhi, we (Punjab) are being taunted by everyone,” said Bittu in a statement.

“See the condition of children in Punjab, how are they breathing. CM saab you have to lead. It’s time to wake up. Take us all along and talk to the Centre. Political slugfest is not going to solve any issue. Can there be a bigger shame than the VP failing to attend a programme on climate change due to smog and air pollution. Can there be a bigger irony?,” asked Bittu, saying his heart was in deep pain today and that “nature is being tampered with”.

The union minister, however, gave a clean chit to farmers, saying they not at all at fault. “Nothing is going to change by arresting farmers or registering FIRs against them or by imposing fines on them (for burning stubble). The Governments have to take some action,” he added.

AAP MP and spokesperson Malvinder Kang accused the Bittu of making controversial statements. “He is contradicting his own government and Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s statement that stubble burning cases in Punjab have reduced by 70 per cent this season. The BJP should decide if their agriculture minister is right or Bittu. Centre has recently rejected our proposal to provide Rs 1,200 crore financial assistance to stop stubble burning. We are doing everything possible to stop stubble burning with the resources we have,” said Kang.

A police source said that CM Mann and Governor Gulab Chand Kataria had reached Ludhiana by road on Monday itself. While CM had stayed overnight at a private hotel on Ferozepur Road, Governor had stayed at Sutton House, a government guest house in PAU campus.