Delhi: Odd-even scheme triggers AAP-BJP war of words

Criticising the Kejriwal government for its efforts, or lack thereof, to combat stubble burning and manage air quality, he said: “Pollution is at its peak in Delhi and Punjab today and the people of Delhi want to know from Arvind Kejriwal why despite his ostentatious efforts, yesterday there were more than 3,200 incidents of stubble burning in Punjab and in Delhi. The Kejriwal government’s anti-smog guns, sprinklers and cleaning machines are not visible anywhere.”

The BJP also raised questions about the allocation of funds, over Rs 3,000 crore, by the central government to Punjab and Haryana for curbing stubble burning.

“While incidents of stubble burning have reduced by 90% in Haryana, due to the negligence of the Punjab government, it is increasing in Punjab,” said Delhi BJP spokesperson Dr Anil Gupta. The BJP also accused the AAP government in Punjab of not delivering over a lakh stubble-removing machines to the farmers hat the central government had given to the state government.

Hitting back, AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said, “Punjab does not receive funds from the central government, yet in the past year, stubble burning has decreased by 50-67%.”

She alleged that Haryana has been unable to effectively combat stubble burning, despite receiving significant funds from the central government. Kakkar pointed to the lack of initiatives in Haryana to transition industries to Piped Natural Gas (PNG) and the reliance on diesel generators due to inadequate electricity infrastructure as contributing factors to Delhi’s pollution.

Despite this, Kakkar added, Delhi has witnessed a fall in pollution levels by 31% this year.

Citing various reports of central government agencies, she said, “The epicentre of the current stubble burning in Punjab is about 500 km away from Delhi, while in Haryana, it’s only 100 km away. Delhi is closest to Haryana. Therefore, it is essential to assess what steps the Khattar government in Haryana has taken regarding pollution since 2014.”