Stubble burning –A
blame game of politics ?
JAG MOHAN THAKEN
Thanks to the nature ,the extremely polluted
environment of New Delhi –NCR region has started improving after a fortnight’s
gripes of the suffocated smog . However the World Health Organization ( WHO )
in 2014 had warned us by classifying New
Delhi as the World’s most polluted capital with air quality level even worse
than Beijing, but instead of improvement , the situation has worsened a multifold
in 2017 . Also a recently published report of Lancet Commission on Pollution
and Health has shown us a very dreadful and gloomy picture . It states that pollution
has caused over nine million deaths worldwide in 2015 ,out of which 2.5 million
people died in India alone , the highest in the world, due to pollution . Vehicular emissions , unmetalled
and dusty roads ,dust spreading
construction works , smoke belching factories
and brick kilns and stubble burning by the farmers are some of the major reasons
behind the pollution . But for the total failure of the Delhi government to step
up the pollution controlling measures , Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is
trying to heap reproaches upon Punjab and Haryana state governments for not
controlling the stubble burning by their farmers . He appeals that keeping
political differences aside ,Punjab , Haryana, Delhi and central government should sit together
and find an amicable and permanent
solution to the stubble burning problem that leads to high pollution . He also
advocates that banning entry of trucks , construction activities and
introducing of odd-even system are just emergency steps and not the permanent solution to the
high pollution levels .Mr. kejriwal argues with
logic that the data of September
onwards shows the PM10 level as 300 and
PM2.5 level was 160 , but after start of
crop burning season from October ,25 the PM10 level has risen drastically to 940 and PM2.5 level
to 750 . He pleads that the rapid increase in pollution level is not due to
local reasons. Whereas the Punjab and Haryana states decline this argument for
alleging the stubble burning as the sole reason of increase in pollution .
Punjab chief minister Capt. Amarinder Singh ,
categorically rejecting the get together proposal of Kejriwal , alleges that
Kejriwal is evidently trying to divert
public attention from his own government’s failure in Delhi to check the
pollution . Capt. States that unlike Punjab , the real causes behind Delhi’s
pollution are mismanaged transportation and unplanned industrial development .Capt.
pleads that the problem is more economic than political in nature and search
for political solutions to the issue is ,therefore ,meaningless . The Punjab CM
says , “ Situation is serious , but
Punjab is helpless as problem is widespread and state has no money to
compensate the farmers for stubble management .It is not a matter for interstate discussion , that
won’t help . It requires central government intervention at the earliest
.Centre alone can solve this problem given its national implications .”
On the other hand the Haryana chief minister ,
Manohar Lal Khattar says that no single
person , organization or government can improve the quality of air . In a
letter written to Kejriwal on November , 10 , Khattar raises a question on
steps taken by Delhi’s Kejriwal government and asks , “ There are some 40000
families who cultivate 40000 hectares in Delhi . What steps have been taken to
stop them from stubble burning ?” Justifying the Haryana’s stand on the
issue , Khattar twits , “Haryana has
used Rs. 39 crore out of Rs. 45 crore allocation released for crop residue
management as an active step to combat stubble burning and pollution . 2014
onwards , there has been a substantial reduction in number of stubble burning
cases as per publically available satellite data .”
Congress party’s national media incharge , Randeep
Singh Surjewala hammering the central government , alleges , “ Blame game and lip service continues on
poisonous cloud over Delhi-NCR . Modi government abdicated its responsibility
of incentivizing farmers with a Rs. 3000 crore package to prevent stubble
burning.”
Let us also review the economic aspect of pollution problem . Punjab Chief Minister states the problem of
stubble burning as an economic one and pleads that the problem is more economic
than political in nature. He twits that
situation is serious , but Punjab is helpless as problem is widespread and
state has no money to compensate the farmers for stubble management . Whereas in
his letter to kejriwal , Haryana CM Khattar thrashes Punjab government that out
of Rs.97.58 crore released to Punjab by
the centre for crop residue management , it has not spent even a single paisa .
Media reports also reveal that a sum of Rs. 1500 crore was collected as green
fund to combat air pollution in Delhi which
is lying largely unused . Now the question arises if the stubble burning and
combating pollution are economic problems , then why the governments of Punjab
and Delhi did not utilize the funds available to them to curb pollution ?
Contrary to this the Haryana government claims that it has succeeded up to some
extent to control the stubble burning in the state by utilizing the fund of Rs.
39 crore out of Rs. 45 crore allocation released for crop residue management .
It shows
that however the funds are needed
everywhere , but volition to do something plays major part .Keeping aside the
blame game of politics the concerned states and the centre government should
sit together and find a permanent solution to the smog dangerously hovering
over the lifeline of the people .It should be dealt with as a national calamity
. Deepender Singh Hooda ,a politician
son of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda , has written a letter to
the Prime Minister Narender Modi requesting him to provide a permanent solution
to the smog ridden Delhi –NCR zone by rising above the political interests . He
suggests to form a national agency under
the chairmanship of Prime Minister having the chief ministers of northern
states affected by the smog as its members .
But in the era of political power game , would the
politicians, forgetting their party ill-wills , like to work in a team spirit to watch the national
interests ? It is the question to be answered .
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