Ministers from neighbouring states skip pollution meeting
NEW DELHI: With air rapidly getting more toxic, Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan called for a meeting of environmental representatives from the north Indian belt on Thursday.
However, the environment ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana decided to give this meeting a miss and instead sent junior officers, inviting the wrath of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The meeting was set up after Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain persistently communicated with the four environment ministers to curb stubble burning in their respective states.
“We have seen abnormal increase in pollution level after October 25. This is nothing else but due to stubble burning in Punjab,” Kejriwal told media persons here.
Showing satellite images of stubble burning in Punjab, he said that stubble burning was higher in Punjab this year than in Haryana.” the images show stubble burning in Bathinda, Amritsar and other districts in Punjab. In Haryana, this is limited to north Haryana in the areas around Ambala district.”
He said the government and pollution control authorities in Punjab need to take stubble burning more seriously to find a lasting solution to the annual problem, which is causing severe air pollution in Delhi.
“Neither has vehicular pollution increased in Delhi after October 25, nor have more industries been set up and nor has there been a dust build up. The air quality has deteriorated due to stubble burning in Punjab,” he asserted.
Kejriwal added that his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar had earlier assured him of lesser stubble burning this year and the satellite images showed that stubble burning was indeed less in Haryana this time. Meanwhile, Harsh Vardhan said the issue of air pollution should not be “politicised” and everyone should give their full cooperation to protect the environment.
He and Hussain also flagged off 52 teams, as part of the Delhi Clean Air Campaign, which would monitor violations that may result in rise in air pollution in the Capital.