00:00Whose fault is it that there is pollution in Delhi, NCR and other North Indian states?
00:04Is it the fault of Punjab or is it Delhi?
00:07Well, at least the political showdown tells you that the Delhi government is pinning it on the Punjab government,
00:12especially with regard to the farm fires.
00:15Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who's the Environment Minister for Delhi government,
00:18doubling down on the Punjab government led by Bhagawan Tman.
00:21Sirsa is saying these satellite detectives double fire demand accountability,
00:25not political excuses by AAP-led Punjab government's Environment Minister
00:29and who's also the Chief Minister, of course, Bhagawan Tman.
00:33So they've clearly got an opportunity to target Bhagawan Tman, not just as a CM,
00:36but who's heading this specific ministry as well.
00:38So what Sirsa has done is shared certain images, graphics and to say that there is data,
00:45that there is double fire, farm fire that is happening across Punjab even now,
00:49despite the alternatives suggested, fines imposed, FIRs registered,
00:54all of that has been done and yet farm fires are happening.
00:57Remember, many farmers have opted for alternate measures,
01:00but they've also maintained that this, of course, is an easier method,
01:04they have to go across for the next crop as well.
01:06And at this point, the Delhi Minister is saying,
01:09it's not our fault, we have done our bit, is what Delhi government is saying.
01:12Blame it on Punjab, it demands accountability.
01:15But is that also really correct, ladies and gentlemen?
01:18Can the governments really simply pin it on other governments?
01:23Delhi government maintains, we have done enough since we have come to the government,
01:27and this is what the BJP ministers are saying,
01:29and pollution did come down,
01:31and that it wasn't as massive as it could have been in the past few weeks,
01:35usually when this autumn and then arrival of winter season happens.
01:39But Sirsa is posting the map of the stubble burning,
01:41the graphics in Punjab, saying, look at this,
01:45don't give us excuses, fix accountability, pinning it on the Punjab government.
01:48Remember, this is also about two different governments in Delhi and in Punjab.
01:53In national capital Delhi, led by the BJP,
01:58there is in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana BJP,
02:00but in Punjab, where the farm fires are being reported maximum,
02:03is the Aam Admi Party.
02:04Now, why is it trouble for Aam Admi Party also?
02:07Because Aam Admi Party has maintained that they would do enough for law and order,
02:11farm fire, and alternatives for farmers,
02:13and more that, and therefore, that is something that the government
02:19has really not been able to achieve.
02:21Aseem Bassi is joining me for the latest.
02:23Aseem, here in Delhi, Anseer, I can tell you that the weather is dripping,
02:27and so is the air quality.
02:29And the Delhi government says it's because of Punjab.
02:31How is Bhagawanthman defending their state?
02:35What is happening?
02:36Are farm fires being reported around you, even now?
02:39Well, as far as the farm fires in Punjab are concerned,
02:42as far today, the figure is 2787,
02:45and yesterday it was 2003 and 47.
02:48So, a rise of around 400 farm fires took place in the past 24 hours.
02:53But, as far as the government is concerned,
02:56government says that they have taken measures
02:58around the 46 lakhs of fine has been imposed
03:01on the adding farmers, 7 and 10 fires have been registered.
03:04And they say that the BJP is doing politics
03:06and trying to defend the farmer and the Punjab.
03:09And they say, and we spoke to experts also,
03:11because recently, if you compare to the previous years,
03:15the numbers have come down.
03:16But what is worrying is that the past 3-4 days,
03:19we have seen a heavy stubble fire going on
03:21in Tarantaran area, Sandroor area,
03:23and Tarantaran recording highest number of cases 586.
03:26So, politics apart, one thing is that
03:28even though the numbers are down,
03:29but the situation is that the farm fires are...
03:31Aseem, stay on with me,
03:32because I'm not going to go simply by the rumours,
03:36or conjectures, or political showdown.
03:37I want to bring to you the illustrations and the map,
03:40and that is where the Delhi Minister is jumping in.
03:43Ladies and gentlemen, look at this.
03:44All in red.
03:46Not because it's the beautiful festival of Diwali,
03:48but because this means severe hazardous,
03:51very severe category.
03:53Now, this is what it shows in areas like Tarantaran,
03:56Ferozpur, Bhatinda, Sangroor,
03:58and Sangroor, of course,
03:59is Bhagawan's constituency.
04:01That is showing the AQI,
04:04and this is active fire count.
04:06I correct myself,
04:06this is the active fire count of 300 and above.
04:09This is, and it's posted by the BJP.
04:12This is what Manjinder Singh Sirsa has shared,
04:15and he's using this map specifically,
04:17in what I'm putting on the screens,
04:19to, he's what Sirsa is sharing,
04:21to attack the Ahmadinejee Party government.
04:24Remember, air quality is usually how it's measured
04:27across Delhi NCR, which is in poor category.
04:29What the BJP has done, interestingly,
04:31is brought out a fire count map.
04:32So, what they've done is to show,
04:34look at the areas,
04:35and this is extreme,
04:37over 100, 300 fire count.
04:39There is Fazilka, Fareedkot,
04:41Barnala, even Patiala,
04:42Gurdaspur, Amritsar Kapoorthala.
04:44These are also areas where fire is being reported,
04:47stubble burning is happening.
04:49If there are alternatives,
04:51funds that have been provided to the farmers,
04:54because they also deserve a certain alternate measure,
04:57how do they go to the next crop,
04:59if the government doesn't help them.
05:00And why haven't we been able to achieve,
05:03this kind of difference now,
05:05because this is impacting,
05:07the people of Punjab,
05:08people of Delhi,
05:09as the winds blow,
05:10toward Uttar Pradesh,
05:11Haryana,
05:12and National Capital Delhi.
05:13So, the BJP is using this map,
05:15to target the Ahmadinejee Party.
05:17Aseem,
05:18you're reporting about the stubble burning,
05:20and the data that you're sharing with me.
05:22How is the air quality,
05:23in Chandigarh, Punjab,
05:25in cities where it's,
05:27showing a heavy fire count as well.
05:30I'm sure that,
05:31that people are suffering.
05:33My point is,
05:34what is then the government doing,
05:35about pollution,
05:36about farm fires,
05:37about alternate measures?
05:40Oh, well,
05:41as far as,
05:41the air quality is concerned,
05:43as we said in Chandigarh times,
05:44then,
05:45the air quality is fine.
05:46But,
05:46when we travel,
05:47towards the Sangroor area,
05:48or the Sarantaran area,
05:49where the stubble fire is,
05:51two days back,
05:52I was in Sangroor,
05:53and there was,
05:54thick smoke,
05:55which was witnessed.
05:56Yesterday also,
05:57our colleague from Sangroor,
05:59he reported,
06:00from the spot,
06:01and there was a lot of smoke there.
06:02So,
06:02that is definitely,
06:03hurting the people in Punjab as well.
06:05But,
06:06that's what I'm saying.
06:06As far as,
06:07the government is concerned,
06:08they say,
06:08they have given the machinery,
06:10they have bring in the alternative,
06:11they are also registering FIRs,
06:12making red entries,
06:13into the revenue records,
06:14and also,
06:15imposing fines.
06:17And,
06:17they say,
06:17the numbers have come down.
06:18We spoke to,
06:19we spoke to an environmental expert also.
06:21He said that,
06:22yes,
06:22the numbers,
06:23as compared to,
06:24the past decade,
06:25it may have come down by 90%.
06:27But,
06:27one thing which is worrisome,
06:28is that the problem prevails.
06:30It is not eradicated fully,
06:32because the Ramani party minister,
06:33we spoke to yesterday,
06:34he said that,
06:34no farm fires are happening in Punjab.
06:36But,
06:36that is wrong.
06:36Farm fires is happening,
06:37and definitely,
06:39it may not be being bad.
06:40our colleagues on the ground,
06:41are bringing ground reports,
06:42showing us that,
06:43there are still farm fires.
06:44Remember,
06:45it is as much,
06:46that we can ask the farmers to do,
06:48but they also deserve alternate measures,
06:50so that they can then go,
06:51and sow the next crop as well.
06:53Thank you very much,
06:53for now,
06:54Asim Basi is travelling,
06:55and tracking,
06:55all the latest across the state.
