More stubble burning incidents reported from Punjab, claims Bansuri Swaraj

New Delhi, Oct 28 (IANS) BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj has sharply criticised Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for failing to take action to curb stubble burning in his state, which has exacerbated pollution levels in the national Capital. 

"Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had claimed that if the Aam Aadmi Party came to power in Punjab, stubble burning would be stopped. However, the situation has become more dire. On October 26 alone, there were 360 crop-burning incidents, with 108 of these coming from Punjab,” Bansuri Swaraj told IANS.

Hitting out at the Punjab government for inaction, Swaraj said, "He declined to meet us. Neither did he meet us nor did the Resident Commissioner."

"If he’s unwilling to engage in a dialogue, how can we address this pressing issue?" Swaraj questioned.

Swaraj went on to express her frustration with the Punjab government's ineffective handling of the crop residue burning issue, "How much longer must the people of Delhi suffer due to Punjab government's inefficiency? The AAP governs both Delhi and Punjab. Why can’t these two states coordinate to control the burning of crop remains?"

Delhi is one of the world's most polluted cities throughout the year. But its air turns toxic especially in winter due to several factors, including burning of crop residue, low wind speed, and bursting of firecrackers during festivals and increased moisture in the air. The pollution causes severe health issues for its residents every year.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) hovered around 250 to 300 in the entire last week as most parts of Delhi-NCR recorded ‘very poor’ air quality.

Swaraj also trained guns at former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his unfulfilled promise to clean river Yamuna, stating, "Kejriwal ji promised to clean the Yamuna, yet under this administration, the river has only become more polluted. They consistently shift blame for this onto others."

Yamuna is one of the most polluted rivers in the country. It is particularly polluted downstream of Delhi, with most pollution coming from Wazirabad, from where the Yamuna enters the national Capital.

--IANS

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