The contribution of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution is above 40 per cent. Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government has spent more than 55 crores in publicity for campaigns against pollution.
As stubble burning picked up in neighbouring Punjab, the air quality of Delhi-NCR deteriorated further. The average AQI (Air Quality Index) in Delhi-NCR remained over 500.
According to SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research, Ministry of Earth Science, Govt. of India) data, the contribution of stubble burning remained over 40 per cent.
Criticising Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Malviya posted on Twitter, "Arvind Kejriwal had launched a smog tower in Delhi with a lot of fanfare (read as ads) to fight pollution. Anyone knows what happened to it? Is it even working?"
On November 5, a day after Diwali, the Aam Aadmi Party had blamed the Diwali firecrackers for the Delhi air pollution. It had also blamed the BJP for instigating people to burst firecrackers.
Although, firecrackers contribution to Delhi's air pollution has been negligible. The SAFAR system also noted that instances of stubble burning are also increasing steadily, with the highest being 5159 on Saturday (November 6).
The Union government had brought in a law to check stubble burning in Delhi's neighbourhood. One of the protesting 'farmers' 'main demands was to press the Union government to withdraw the law against stubble burning.
In December last year, the Union government agreed to take back the law against stubble burning.
Greta Thunberg, who pretends to be an environmental activist, supported 'farmers' demands of withdrawal of laws against stubble burning.
On November 6, when Delhi's air quality remained poor, Delhi's environment minister Gopal Rai launched a token programme to sprinkle water using water tankers.
Despite the evidence on the contrary, on the pretext of checking air pollution in Delhi, the Delhi government had also banned the bursting of firecrackers in Delhi on Diwali.
The Aam Aadmi Party is eying power in Punjab. So, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who had made multiple visits to Punjab recently, did not speak even once about stubble burning.
In the 2017 Punjab assembly polls, the Aam Aadmi Party was confident about forming the government in the state. But, when the results were announced, it could manage only 20 seats of the 119 seats in the Punjab Assembly.
