Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday accused the BJP of playing politics and unfairly blaming Punjab’s farmers for the rising air pollution levels in Delhi.
Addressing the media after chairing
a cabinet meeting in Chandigarh, Mann said that around 90 lakh tonnes of paddy crop are yet to arrive in the grain markets, and therefore, the burning of paddy stubble has not yet taken place in the state. He said it was wrong to hold Punjab responsible for the poor air quality in the national capital when harvesting is still ongoing.
“Blaming Punjab for Delhi’s haze is not justifiable,” the Chief Minister said. “If stubble smoke has to travel from Punjab to Delhi, the wind should blow from north to south, which is not the case right now. Those blaming Punjab for pollution in Delhi forget that Haryana lies between Punjab and the national capital. Most of the crop in the state is yet to be harvested.”
Mann added that the farmers of Punjab were being defamed, even though they have made immense contributions to the nation’s food security. He said the Centre has failed to provide any effective alternatives or support for crop residue management, forcing farmers to bear the blame year after year.
“The food growers of Punjab are being defamed, whereas no alternative is being offered by the Centre for the crop residue management,” Mann said.
He further criticised the Centre, saying, “The Prime Minister is least bothered about this major issue involving several states. Punjab is contributing 170 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy in the national pool; irrespective of the flood fury, the Centre has never appreciated it.”
The Chief Minister reiterated that Punjab’s farmers should not be made scapegoats for Delhi’s pollution problem and called for a collective national approach to address the issue.
