Atishi blames fires in Hry, UP, MP, Raj for bad air — but defends Pjb numbers

Delhi's AQI hit a five-year high as CM Atishi blamed BJP-ruled states for farm fires, while BJP countered that Punjab has the most incidents.

On Monday, a day that Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) reading reached a five-year high of 494, chief minister Atishi blamed the Capital’s toxic air on farm fires in Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh — all Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states — and alleged that the Centre’s “inaction” has worsened the situation.

Delhi chief minister Atishi. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

To be sure, Atishi’s statement came on a day that Punjab recorded 1,251 farm fires — more than the 1,118 such incidents in Haryana across the entire winter season.

In total, Punjab has now recorded 9,655 farm fires this season.

Atishi, however, said that stubble burning incidents in the agrarian state ruled by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were on a decline.

The BJP hit back, asking Atishi to re-check her data.

Stubble burning incidents for the year in the other states that Atishi mentioned were 2,940 in Uttar Pradesh, 2,212 in Rajasthan, and 11,382 in Madhya Pradesh.

Addressing a press conference, Atishi said she has been receiving calls from residents about people being unable to breathe.

“Stubble is being burnt across the country, and the Centre is not doing anything. The whole of north India is facing a medical emergency due to the Centre’s inaction... Stubble burning incidents have escalated in BJP-ruled states like Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, while AAP-governed Punjab has registered a decline,” she said.

“Instead of taking action, the Centre is busy playing politics, pushing the entire region towards a health crisis... The rising pollution levels across north India highlight the failure of the Centre’s policies,” she said.

Later, Atishi in a post on X blamed the Centre for not taking concrete steps to tackle farm fires incidents.

“All of north India has been plunged into a medical emergency as stubble burning continues unchecked across the country. All cities across the country – in UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana, MP and Delhi – are reeling under severe levels of pollution. And yet despite rising severity of stubble burning across India for last five years, the central government has taken no concrete step to curb the same. All of north India is paying the price for this, especially children and elderly who are struggling to breathe,” she posted.

The BJP, meanwhile, hit back at the Delhi CM and said that Punjab is the biggest offender in terms of stubble burning incidents.

“Before accusing the BJP, she needs to check data from her state, which clearly shows Punjab was the biggest offender… CM also needs to note that had the Centre not built projects like the East-West Corridor or the Dwarka Expressway, due to which thousands of diesel trucks and other vehicles don’t enter Delhi anymore, the AQI would have gone even higher,” Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said.