00:00With the AQI problem in the national capital only intensifying,
00:06it's the central agency team that's reviewing the stubble-burning situation now in the neighbouring state.
00:12We see that the agency has held a meeting with the police and administrative officials
00:16where more than 5,700 cases of stubble-burning have been reported in Punjab this year itself.
00:24Aseem Bassi joining me on the broadcast with more details.
00:26Aseem, very good afternoon to you.
00:29Help us with the details of this very meeting between the central agency team
00:33and the administrative and police officials.
00:35And the fact that, you know, we were somewhere around a number of 3,000
00:40at the beginning of the week, right after Diwali.
00:42And now that number has gone up.
00:45More than 2,000 cases being recorded just in the past few weeks.
00:50Despite stubble-burning being made a big issue, causing the AQI problem in Delhi.
01:00Well, yes, definitely.
01:02Stubble-burning is one issue which is always in focus from the past many years now.
01:07And currently in Punjab, there have been 5,785 cases.
01:11Close to more than 150 cases have jumped in the past 24 hours.
01:16Yes, the Commission for Air Quality Management team,
01:21it is on a visit to Punjab, it went to Sangaroor, it went to Patiala, it went to Pathinda.
01:25And today, it was in Ludhiana and held a meeting with the civil as well as the police administration.
01:31They wanted to know what is the ground reality, the stubble-burning,
01:33what is being done by the administration to ensure that the stubble-burning is discouraged,
01:39what kind of alternative measures are taken, what actions are taken.
01:42The team, apart from holding a closed-door meeting,
01:44they also went to the field visit and met the progressive farmers who did not burn stubble this time.
01:49So, it is basically a commission's visit is to basically check on that what exactly the administration is doing.
01:56They're meeting the progressive farmers as well and what is being done to ensure that the stubble-burning downsizes.
02:01Yes, this is an issue long-term, it has been, the numbers have come down over the years, over a
02:06decade.
02:07But yes, after Diwali, as you said, the numbers have picked up on Diwali night only,
02:12there were close to more than 1,200 cases and after that, the figures have jumped again.
02:16And now, the total number is 5,785 and the CAQM team are visiting the riches of Punjab.
02:22Ludhiana has seen till now 300 cases, Faroozpur highest, close to 800 and with Sangaroor and Tarantaran also in bad
02:30shape.
02:31Absolutely, and that's why this meeting also comes in to be very, very crucial.
02:35Asim, thank you for those details.
02:36We'll keep coming back to you to understand the takeaways from the meeting.
