Significant decline in stubble burning cases in Punjab: AAP

New Delhi : The Aam Aadmi Party claimed on Monday that there has been a significant decline in stubble burning in Punjab after the formation of its government in the state. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana has been widely cited as a major contributor to the air pollution in Delhi during the post-harvest season, particularly in October and November.

The AamAadmi Party (AAP)governments in Delhi and Punjab have been facing flak as pollution levels continued to rise in the national capital. Addressing a press conference, AAP MLA Dilip Pandey said, “Due to the meaningful efforts of the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab, there has been a significant decline in the number of stubble-burning cases in Punjab.”

Citing data of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pandey claimed the number of stubble-burning cases in Punjab has come down to 1,866 from almost 8,000 in October 2022. “According to the data of the central government’s IRAI, there were about 8,000 stubble cases in Punjab till this week of October 2022, and as per the latest data of today, the cases have come down to 1,866,” Pandey said.

He said that the data clearly shows that the AAP government of Punjab has worked positively to resolve this issue, whereas the BJP-ruled Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have just been indulged in blaming, and their contribution to resolution is “zero.’

The national capital’s air quality has plunged into the “very poor” category for the past several days, with some areas in the city even recording ‘severe’ pollution levels. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has also heightened vigilance during this period, deploying central teams to monitor stubble burning across key districts in Punjab and Haryana.