Delhi govt creating hype on pollution for politics

The Delhi government is "creating hype" on the issue of rising air pollution in the national capital due to "political reasons", Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary told the Rajya Sabha on Friday. Responding to queries during Question Hour, he said, "It may be the failure of the state government. There are many reasons for rise in pollution.

However, the state government is creating hype for political reasons." He said there was no need to blame farmers for the rise in pollution as stubble burning has contributed to only 3 per cent to the overall air pollution in Delhi.

On stringent measures taken against farmers to curb stubble burning, the minister said, "It is wrong to send farmers to jail. However, it is a state subject."

On the Supreme Court's directive, some states are offering Rs 100/quintal assistance to farmers. Even the central government's agriculture research body ICAR has developed seven post-harvesting machines to reduce stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, he added. Every year, the national capital sees the rise in air pollution on the onset of winter.