- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi: As Delhi’s air quality plummeted into hazardous levels, Chief Minister Atishi criticized the Central government’s alleged failure to tackle pollution and uncontrolled stubble burning in neighboring states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana, asserting that this has created a medical emergency across North India, including the national capital.
In a press conference, Atishi urged the Centre to move past political disagreements and implement effective measures to resolve the pollution issue affecting all northern states, including those governed by the BJP.
She questioned the Central government’s actions over the past seven years regarding stubble burning, asking, “What measures has the Central government taken in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh to curb this issue?”
Citing a report from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), CM Atishi highlighted that cities like Ghaziabad, Noida, Hapur, Bulandshahar in Uttar Pradesh, Gurugram, Hisar, Dharuhera, and Bahadurgarh in Haryana, and even Churu in Rajasthan, have been grappling with poor air quality since Sunday evening, demonstrating that this problem extends beyond Delhi.
She acknowledged Punjab, another state governed by AAP, for successfully managing stubble burning and criticized other northern states for their failure to do so. “If Punjab can reduce stubble burning, why are incidents on the rise in other states?” she asked, noting that Punjab reported 8,404 farm fires this year, a significant decrease from 36,650 in 2022 and 71,300 in 2021.
Atishi also pointed fingers at Madhya Pradesh, where she stated around 9,600 stubble burning incidents occurred between September 15 and September 17 alone, leading to over 700 daily incidents that are severely compromising air quality in the region.
She called for the Central government to adopt a collaborative approach to tackle this pressing issue, emphasizing that it adversely affects children and the elderly across all political lines.
Her remarks came as the Delhi BJP organized a protest in central Delhi, handing out free air masks to residents near the Krishi Bhawan Metro Station. In response, Delhi BJP chief Sachdeva urged citizens to remain indoors and wear masks for the upcoming week due to the ongoing Stage IV provisions of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
Atishi dismissed the BJP’s mask distribution as political posturing and reiterated the need for practical solutions. “If Punjab can control this issue, so can other states. Why is stubble burning increasing in Haryana, UP, and MP?” she asked, highlighting that cities in BJP-ruled areas are also facing poor air quality.
According to the CPCB, most of Delhi’s 39 monitoring stations recorded an AQI of over 450. Nearby areas also struggled with pollution, with Noida in the ‘very poor’ category at an AQI of 384, Faridabad rated ‘poor’ at 320, and Ghaziabad and Gurugram facing ‘severe’ conditions with AQIs of 400 and 446, respectively.
