Don’t blame us for Delhi smog, govt tells Centre

Chandigarh : Confronting the Centre with evidence, the Punjab Government today refuted the charge that the state and its farmers were responsible for smog clouds enveloping New Delhi for the past some days. The Centre today held a meeting with the officials concerned of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi to discuss smog and other issues related to pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR). “We gave a detailed presentation at the meeting to scientifically prove that the smoke originating from fields in Punjab cannot reach Delhi in any manner,” said a senior official of the Punjab Pollution Control Board. “For the past several days the wind direction is towards the west. In such circumstances, the smoke should cause smog in some parts of J&K, Himachal Pradesh and mainly in Pakistan and not in Delhi as is being stated,” said the official. “We told the Centre that the problem of paddy stubble burning is there in Punjab but it is not responsible for smog in Delhi in any manner,” said the official. Almost entire paddy crop has been harvested and wheat has been sown in more than 50 per cent area. Stubble burning has gone down during the past week or so, the state authorities said. Among the Punjab officials who attended the meeting were NS Kalsi, Financial Commissioner (Development), Manpreet Singh, Chairman of the Punjab Pollution Control Board, and a team of experts from the board.