Atishi Targets Centre On Stubble Burning Amid Delhi's Air Emergency

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi hit out at the central government Monday, accusing it of failing to act and practicing "politics on pollution" after the national capital region woke this morning choking under a thick layer of toxic smog and an air quality index of 481 - the worst this season so far.

The Aam Aadmi Party leader blamed farm fires in neighbouring states (except Punjab, where too the AAP is in power) and lack of action by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led centre left the "people unable to breathe". "Other cities in northern India are also polluted... what is the centre doing? Only Punjab has reduced stubble burning. Why doesn't centre act against others?" she raged.

Farm fires - referring to farmers burning agricultural waste from the previous crop to make room for fresh sowing - are among the principal causes for toxic pollutants in the air.

This happens across states in north India, including AAP-ruled Punjab and BJP-ruled Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, and is an annual bone of contention between political parties' blame-game.

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On November 1 Punjab recorded the season's biggest spike in such fire, with 587 reported across the state. Haryana has seen fewer reported fires than Punjab, but an unwelcome increase has been registered by UP and Madhya Pradesh, a fact pointed out by Atishi.

The centre has doubled fines to be imposed for violations of the stubble burning law but, as the Supreme Court pointed out earlier, implementation and follow-through remain an issue.

Top Court Slams AAP On AQI

The outburst also came as the Supreme Court ripped into her administration which invoked the third stage of anti-pollution measures, or GRAP-3, last week and lurched into the fourth this morning.

In an inexplicable turn of events, GRAP-3 was invoked hours after Environment Minister Gopal Rai said it would not; this was despite the AQI have crossed 400. Under the rules an AQI over 400 calls for immediate implementation of the third 'anti-pollution' stage as the air quality is considered 'severe'.

The top court, which hears anti-pollution and AQI control cases every winter, underlining the annual and predictable nature of this problem, posed tough questions to the ruling AAP, including asking why it had taken so long to enact GRAP-3 and how it is being implemented.

"Why did we wait for the AQI to cross 300? How could you take such a risk?"

The court also told the Delhi government it could not drop below Stage 4 (i.e., GRAP-4) without its express authorisation; "... even if AQI goes below 300... this is the order we're proposing."

Delhi AQI Crisis: Air quality in Delhi was 481 at 7 am on Monday.

The court has been fiercely critical of the Delhi government (and police) in several of its hearings on the AQI crisis, particularly after the post-Diwali deterioration - again, an annual and predictable worsening of the air quality after many in the city flout the ban on firecrackers.

On Monday last the bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih slammed the authorities, underlining that "no religion encourages any activity which creates pollution".

READ | "No Religion Encourages Pollution": Court On Crackers Amid Air Crisis

The court, in an earlier hearing, had held the government and cops responsible for lax implementation of that ban on firecrackers, calling their attempts to explain "eyewash".

Delhi AQI Crisis

In the past week Delhi has woken up daily to frightening blankets of toxic smog (smoke + fog) covering the city, prompting repeated warnings from health experts about increased respiratory illnesses.

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The usual range of 'anti-pollution' measures have kicked in - staggered office timings, online classes for schools and colleges, and restrictions on older automobiles.

However, as every year, the AQI continues to plummet to ever-more dangerous levels; this time around officials have also blamed "unfavourable" weather conditions over Delhi NCR.

BJP Slams AAP

The AAP's struggles to control pollution levels in Delhi this year translate into ammunition for rivals BJP, which has pounced to blame the city-state government ahead of February's election.

"The situation in Delhi is getting worse. People in Delhi are suffering because of the kind of governance in the city... dust control will have to be done and stubble burning in Punjab will have to stop. The situation of pollution is because of the Delhi government's poor work and the people are facing the consequences," the party's Delhi unit boss, Virendraa Sachdeva, said.

With input from agencies

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