00:00Political showdown escalates over pollution.
00:03Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the Delhi Environment Minister,
00:05is doubling down on Punjab government over Stubbleburn.
00:08Sirsa shared a certain map illustration
00:10and took to social media sites saying this,
00:13and I quote him here,
00:15the satellite-detected stubble fire
00:18demands accountability, not political excuses
00:21by Ahmadinejee Party-led Punjab government's
00:23Environment Minister, who also happens to be
00:25the Chief Minister Bhagwanth Man.
00:27So they've clearly found a way to target Bhagwanth Man
00:29here and the Punjab government,
00:31they're saying, and this is what the Delhi government
00:33has been maintaining for a while now,
00:34we're doing our best.
00:36But it's because of Punjab, they say,
00:38that the stubble burning continues there,
00:40and therefore we are impacted because when the wind blows,
00:43all of this comes and hits National Capital Delhi.
00:45I can tell you, ladies and gentlemen,
00:46early morning in Delhi NCR is proving to be very difficult.
00:50It's smoke, you know what you're breathing,
00:52is not good air.
00:54At this point, it's very interesting,
00:56and the map that we are showing you on your screens,
00:58there is also Sangroor in it.
01:00Sangroor is the constituency of Bhagwanth Man,
01:03the Chief Minister.
01:04Look at that map.
01:06So there are places like Tarantaran,
01:09Firozpur, Fazilka, Sangroor,
01:11several other areas including Amritsar,
01:14Patiala, which if though,
01:16and this is a fire count,
01:17this is not the air quality index,
01:19just to put in perspective for you.
01:21So this is where, according to the BJP
01:23that have shared this video,
01:24they are saying and claiming
01:26that the fire count in so-and-so cities of Punjab
01:29is at this level.
01:30And you can see the border cities
01:32are at its worst,
01:33where the stubble burning is still happening.
01:36As we look at these images,
01:38we then had our colleagues check on the ground,
01:41and our colleagues have been reporting
01:42for the past few days consistently,
01:43there is no end to stubble burning.
01:46And that's why I bring in my colleague,
01:48Aseem Bassi on this.
01:49Aseem, I went in 2019, I remember,
01:53to parts of Punjab,
01:54it was Bhatinda at that time,
01:56and alternative measures
01:56were being provided to farmers.
01:59Whether it was about biofuel and other options,
02:03and it looked like the next few years could be easy.
02:05In 2026, stubble burning is still on.
02:13Yes, definitely.
02:14The machinery was been given,
02:16the happy seeders and alternative measures
02:17were told how to ensure
02:20that the stubble burning is not used.
02:24But yes, definitely you're right,
02:26that despite machinery given,
02:28education given to the farmers,
02:29and also the cases stirred,
02:31red entries made,
02:32and also the fine imposed,
02:34still the stubble fire is on in Punjab.
02:39Today, as of 5th November,
02:41as on 5th November,
02:442,787 cases were reported,
02:46whereas 24 hours ago,
02:482,347 cases were reported,
02:51a steep rise of 400 cases.
02:53But now, what the problem is,
02:55in the past few days,
02:56we have seen brisk number of burnings
02:58in Sangroor, in Tarantara,
03:00and opposite 586.
03:02So despite the claims of the government,
03:04that a lot of effort is paid,
03:05a lot of machinery is given,
03:07still the farm fires is prevalent in Punjab.
03:09Although, there is one reality there as well,
03:13that as compared to the previous year,
03:14the number has come down,
03:15as compared to 2011,
03:17things started,
03:1890% things have come down.
03:20But close to 3,000 farm fires cases,
03:23have come till now,
03:24around 28,000 now.
03:26Still, that is a worry,
03:27because there is a lot of politics going on,
03:29with Delhi government blaming Punjab,
03:31and Punjab saying,
03:32I do want to highlight what you are telling us,
03:34because it is important for the viewer to know,
03:36measures have been taken,
03:37and I am sure by all governments,
03:38because everyone is impacted with it.
03:40So whether it is subsidies,
03:42machines that have been provided,
03:43alternate measures,
03:44but there is some reason,
03:46that these stubble burning,
03:47at least,
03:47we are unable to ensure,
03:49that it comes to an end.
03:50We don't need this,
03:51in these parts,
03:52in these states,
03:53because it is impacting one and all.
03:55Thank you very much,
03:55Aseem.
03:56And remember,
03:56the kind of long-term impact,
03:58we are not even aware,
03:59that we will have,
03:59because of this toxic air.
04:01And while this is happening,
04:02the Supreme Court,
04:03has taken a grim view,
04:04of the situation.
