Punjab unit of the Bhartiya Janata Party today lashed out at Aam Admi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal for leading a propaganda to defame Punjab. In a press conference held here today, Punjab BJP secretary, Vineet Joshi stated that after painting Punjab youth as drug addicts, AAP was defaming farmers of the state holding them responsible for smog in Delhi. "Repeatedly for the last few days, all the leaders of AAP including Delhi CM Kejriwal are constantly blaming farmers of Punjab for pollution in Delhi. It is an attempt to defame farmers of Punjab", said Joshi. Joshi announced that whenever Kejriwal visits Punjab in forthcoming days, the party workers and farmers will protest against his attempt to malign the farmers of Punjab. Confronting Kejriwal with evidence, the BJP refuted the charge that the state and its farmers were responsible for smog clouds engulfing Delhi for the past few days. Citing facts, the Joshi said, "A study conducted by Central Pollution Control Board and IIT Kanpur in 2015 showed that over 80 per cent of air pollution in Delhi was because of factors within the city and its immediate neighborhood.
According to data from the road transport ministry, the per capita registration of high-emission vehicles in Delhi is the highest in India. Transport officials say that more than half of Delhi’s middle-class homes have two or more cars which has led to the vehicle population to treble since 2007. The first signs of the re-emergence of pollution rise became visible when average traffic speeds on congested stretches dropped to 50 per cent of what they were in 2000. One can no longer look at Delhi and its adjacent towns as separate units since the green corridors that divided them have vanished. As per the Census Commissioner’s estimate for 2015, the population in the new concrete conglomerate of Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Sonepat, Noida and Ghaziabad has almost doubled to 28 million in the last 15 years. The majority of this population growth has happened in the areas that surround Delhi. On 4th November i.e. Friday, Faridabad (Haryana) witnessed the worst smog in 17 years, with the particulate matter even higher than in south Delhi, while Gurgaon and Noida were at par with the Capital, showing that pollution is not just a Delhi problem any longer".Warding off AAP's accusations, Joshi said "This is not just counter-productive, it is also an over-simplification. Had the stubble burning in Punjab been the only cause for Delhi’s bad air, pollution in other cities falling between Delhi and Punjab would have been alarmingly high as well. But, it hasn't been so. On Saturday, 5th November, the particulate matter in Rohtak was less than 100 micrograms per cubic metre.
About 50 kms away, the PM10 level in Delhi’s Punjab Bagh locality on Rohtak Road was nearly 1,200. One major reason for deterioration of air between two places is the presence of three big industrial zones of Delhi- Nangloi, Bawana and Mundka is release of huge pollutants. Delhi’s inner and outer rings roads add heavy vehicular traffic to the mix. And, cramped colonies around the industrial zones not only lead to traffic congestion but also stop the foul air from escaping". "Let's assume the Kejriwal is right", said Joshi, "But one needs to understand some basic scientific facts before making such accusations. Smoke originating from fields in Punjab cannot reach Delhi in any manner. For the past several days the wind direction is towards the west. In such circumstances, the smoke should cause smog in some parts of J&K, Himachal Pradesh and mainly in Pakistan and not in Delhi as is being stated. The problem of paddy stubble burning is there in Punjab but it is not responsible for smog in Delhi in any manner. Almost entire paddy crop has been harvested and wheat has been sown in more than 50 per cent area.
In addition to this, stubble burning has gone down during the past week or so. The wind speed in the last few days has dropped and there has been a dip in temperature. All this has contributed to pollutants getting trapped at a breathing level".Accusing CM Kejriwal and his ministers of abdicating their responsibility the party state secretary said, "Blaming stubble burning alone for the rise in Delhi’s air pollution serves as a convenient tool because it shifts the blame on people not accountable to the residents of Delhi. It helps Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal evade questions about their failure to take adequate measures. While Kejriwal and his cabinet shrug their shoulders, Delhi’s pollution map is all red and the lungs of millions of Delhites are turning black". "It’s a clear-cut case of shifting responsibility. For every problem, which Kejriwal doesn't have any solution, he straight away points finger towards opposition, especially BJP/NDA ruled states", said Joshi. Thank God, this time he has spared PM Sh Narendra Modi ji.