The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday remarks made by the Supreme Court regarding the alarming pollution levels in Delhi. The apex court directed the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan to take immediate steps to stop crop residue burning. In response to the court’s observations, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi for its handling of the pollution crisis.
Tiwari described the AAP government as “incompetent” and highlighted the gravity of the situation. He called on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to shift from “fake advertisements” to concrete actions to combat pollution, considering the Supreme Court’s stern stance on the issue.
“Arvind Kejriwal, will you continue with fake advertisements? Start working on the ground. The way the Supreme Court has pulled up the AAP government today, asking it to stop stubble burning in Punjab, fake propaganda will not work anymore,” said Manoj Tiwari.
The BJP leader pointed out the severe health consequences of the ongoing pollution crisis in Delhi, emphasising the negative impact on the lives of residents, particularly children and the elderly. He called for a proactive approach, urging Kejriwal to engage with farmers in Punjab and explore innovative solutions to address the problem.
“Go to Punjab with your MLAs, meet the farmers in villages at the earliest, and buy stubble from them, use it to make manure or put it to other uses. Take innovative measures so that people of Delhi-NCR are able to breathe,” Tiwari stated as he called for an end to the “incompetency”.
This comes as instances of stubble burning continue to surface from neighbouring states of the national capital, causing the pollution levels to range from ‘severe’ to ‘severe plus’.
19,463 Incidents Of Stubble Burning In Punjab So Far: Pollution Control Board Chairman
On stubble burning in Punjab, Chairman of Punjab Pollution Control Board Adarsh Pal Vig cited data till November 6 showing that the total number of such cases of farm fires was 19,463.
“Last year, approximately 30,000 cases came… According to these data, we have recorded a 35% reduction from last year… In the past few days, stubble-burning cases have increased. This is a matter of concern. Our team and officers are going on the ground to manage according to the action plan. In the coming days, our target is to achieve -50%,” he said.
When asked about action taken against those doing stubble burning, he said, “There is a process for reporting. After that, the team goes there, and they verify it. The first priority is to take the fire brigade or manually douse the fire… There is one environmental compensation directive from the NGT. For polluting the environment, the polluter has to pay a financial amount according to the pay principle. 1,646 cases have been verified.”
‘Complete Murder Of Health Of People’: Supreme Court On Delhi Pollution
Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, part of the Supreme Court bench overseeing the case, expressed grave concern over the health consequences of pollution. The bench, also comprising Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, rebuked the states for attempting to shift blame and urged them to take decisive action to address the problem.
“I am sorry, this is complete murder of the health of people, there is no other phrase I have,” said Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, as quoted by news agency PTI.
The bench further said, “The concern is this… these farm fires are not stopping. What action the states are taking to stop the farm fires? Delhi cannot be made to go through this year after year.”
“We want to stop all this. We don’t care how you do it. It is your business how to do it. It must stop, the bench told the counsel, adding, You have to stop it, whether by forceful action, sometimes by incentives, sometimes by other actions, but you have to stop it. We cannot let people die because of this (pollution),” the apex court stressed, as quoted by PTI.
Punjab’s counsel claimed that incidents of crop residue burning had decreased by 40% since the previous year, the top court noted. Nevertheless, the court stressed the urgency of resolving the issue and preventing further pollution-related health problems for Delhi residents.
The court’s intervention came in the wake of the Delhi government’s decision to implement an odd-even traffic restriction plan from November 13, following Diwali when pollution levels are expected to escalate.
More On It: ‘Odd-Even Scheme Mere Optics’, ‘Zero Patience’: What Supreme Court Said On Delhi-NCR Pollution
Delhi Govt To Consider SC’s Order On Pollution While Finalising Odd-Even Scheme: Environment Minister Gopal Rai
The Delhi government, led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, will consider the Supreme Court’s directives when finalising the details of the odd-even car rationing scheme, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said. The minister announced the enforcement of the odd-even scheme from November 13 to 20 and plans to incorporate the Supreme Court’s recommendations in the scheme’s execution.
Rai emphasised the importance of a coordinated effort among concerned states to address the air pollution crisis, stating that Delhi had taken steps to minimise stubble burning. He also mentioned that the government had distributed free bio decomposers to control the issue.
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