New Delhi, Oct 28 (PTI) The BJP on Monday called on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to take immediate action against stubble burning in the state, citing the "increasing impact" of Punjab's crop residue fires on Delhi’s air quality.
A delegation of Delhi BJP leaders led by state president Virendra Sachdeva went to Delhi's Kapurthala House to meet Mann and hand over a letter on the pollution issue.
However, the delegation could not meet the Punjab CM and submitted their letter through the Resident Commissioner of Punjab in Delhi.
The delegation included senior MLA and Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, MP Bansuri Swaraj, Manoj Tiwari, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri.
"We write to you today not with a political motive but as concerned and worried citizens of Delhi. As you may have read and seen, Delhi’s AQI has already touched 400 and shows no signs of improving. And with the winter approaching, this problem looks to only get worse," the letter said.
The letter claimed that while incidents of stubble burning have reportedly decreased, the actual area burnt in 2023 rose by 26 per cent compared to 2022, reaching 19 lakh hectares.
The letter challenges statements by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders in Delhi, who have primarily blamed Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for Delhi's worsening winter air pollution.
According to the letter, there were a total of 1,857 stubble burning cases in Punjab from September 15 to October 26 as compared to 700 and 865 cases in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, respectively.
“Punjab’s numbers are far more than those of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh,” the BJP said, questioning the validity of AAP’s claims.
The letter also references a study by the research and advocacy group Climate Trends, which found that winds from Punjab were correlated with spikes in Delhi’s PM2.5 levels, estimating that stubble burning contributes 20-40 per cent to Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) during the season.
The BJP further urged CM Mann to implement stringent measures, such as effective crop distribution machinery, penalties for non-compliance, and improved management schemes to reduce paddy straw generation.
"We hope you will take immediate action on this issue and prevent Delhi’s air from reaching hazardous levels yet again as winter approaches. You have the power to save many lives, sir. We trust you will do the right thing," it said.