New Delhi: Union Minister and BJP leader Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, attacked Aam Aadmi Party over Punjab farm fires and said that as of today, a state run by the AAP government has seen over 19 per cent rise in farm fires over 2021. Pointing out that Haryana, a state run by the BJP government has seen a 30.6 per cent drop in farm fires. Blaming AAP for rising pollution in the national capital, he said, "there is no doubt over who has turned Delhi into a gas chamber."


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"Sample this: As of today, Punjab, a state run by the AAP government, has seen an over 19 per cent rise in farm fires over 2021. Haryana has seen a 30.6 per cent drop. Just today, Punjab saw 3,634 fires. There is no doubt about who has turned Delhi into a gas chamber," Yadav tweeted. 



AQI 'very poor' in Delhi


Earlier on Wednesday, the pollution in and around Delhi reached an alarming level as the air quality index (AQI) has been recorded as very poor. According to the Meteorological Department, the AQI in Delhi today was recorded at 354 which falls under the category of very poor.


As per the parameters set by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the AQI category from 301 to 400 is considered very poor and from 401 to 500 severe. Further, as per the information provided by the air quality data agency `SAFAR`, the AQI in Anand Vihar was recorded in the severe category at 406 today, followed by ITO 382 and Akshardham 363. 


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Earlier in October, Environment Ministry pointed out that increasing incidents of stubble burning in Punjab this year have become a matter of serious concern. Air Quality Index (AQI) is likely to sharply deteriorate as only about 45-50 per cent of sown area in the state had been harvested till October 24.


CAQM on stubble burning statistics


Sources in the Environment Ministry had told ANI that the contribution of stubble burning to the adverse air quality in Delhi and the National Capital Region has been increasing sharply and is about 18-20 per cent currently with the trend only likely to increase further. As per the Standard Protocol developed by ISRO for Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), for the period September 15, 2022, to October 26, 2022, total paddy residue burning events reported in Punjab are 7,036 compared to 6,463 for the same period during the last year. CAQM further stated that about 70 per cent of farm fires during the current paddy harvesting season were reported only from six districts namely Amritsar, Firozpur, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Patiala, and Tarn Taran.


These districts account for 4,899 cases against a total of 7,036 incidents in Punjab. These traditional six hotspot districts also accounted for about 65 per cent of the total burning incidents during the last year for the same period. Out of a total of 7,036 reported cases, 4,315 stubble-burning incidences were reported during the last six days alone i.e., about 61 per cent. 


As per the Standard ISRO Protocol, for the period of September 15 - October 28 this year, a total of 10,214 paddy residue burning events have been reported in Punjab compared to 7,648 for the same period during the last year, which is a significant increase of about 33.5 per cent. While in Haryana, the total number of farm fire events reported for the period September 15, 2022, to October 26, 2022, is 1,495 compared to 2,010 for the same period last year. There is about a 26 per cent reduction in paddy residue burning events in Haryana so far during the current year.