Delhi Minister Accuses Punjab CM of Hiding Stubble Burning

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of misrepresenting paddy harvesting and stubble burning data during a severe pollution crisis. Sirsa alleged that while Mann claimed harvesting had not yet begun, data from the Punjab government indicates that 77 percent of stubble has already been burnt.

This activity coincided with a sharp decline in air quality in New Delhi, where the Air Quality Index rose from 60 on October 30 to 377 by November 4. Sirsa further claimed the Punjab government misappropriated 5,000 crore rupees provided by the Modi government for agricultural equipment and criticized the appointment of AAP spokesperson Reena Gupta as Chairperson of the Punjab Pollution Control Board.

The Commission for Air Quality Management issued notices to Deputy Commissioners in Bathinda, Fazilka, Jalandhar, and Barnala for allegedly concealing fire counts. Meanwhile, the Punjab Pollution Control Board identified 2,196 fire locations and registered 494 FIRs against farmers.