New Delhi, November 9 — Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra has levelled serious allegations over stubble burning and air pollution in Punjab, claiming that the fields are being deliberately set on fire under the cover of darkness in the state.
Addressing a press conference, Mishra said that several farmers from Punjab had contacted him and other Delhi ministers, complaining that their fields were being deliberately set ablaze. He claimed that while farmers were celebrating Diwali at home with their families, some people were setting fire to their fields under the cover of darkness and fleeing the spot.
Mishra said that he initially found it difficult to believe the farmers' complaints and questioned how anyone could suddenly set fire to agricultural fields. However, after receiving repeated complaints from farmers, the matter was taken seriously.
During the press conference, Mishra also cited Air Quality Index (AQI) data from various cities in Punjab. He claimed that Malout recorded an AQI of 1,238 at 5 a.m. on Saturday, while the figure in Abohar reached 1,307. Sangrur, the hometown of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, also recorded an AQI of 1,651 on Monday morning, he said.
Mishra further referred to pollution data from Bathinda, Sangrur and other parts of Punjab, saying that the figures raised serious questions about the prevailing pollution situation and the possible impact of stubble burning in the state.
Comparing Delhi's pollution levels before and after Diwali over the past three years, Mishra said the situation this year was better than in previous years.
He said that Delhi recorded a 43.33 per cent increase in pollution levels between the pre- and post-Diwali periods in 2023, while the increase was around 10 per cent in 2024.
However, this year, a 1.33 per cent decline was recorded in pollution levels between the two periods, which he described as the first such decrease.
Targeting the Opposition, particularly Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal, Mishra alleged that the issue of stubble burning in Punjab was being politicised.
He claimed that around 1,200 incidents of stubble burning were reported at various locations in Punjab on the evening of November 7.
Despite several challenges and alleged conspiracies, Mishra said, pollution levels in Delhi had improved due to the government's efforts and public cooperation.