NEW DELHI: Chairperson of the Delhi Assembly’s Committee for environment and AAP MLA Atishi on Friday said the panel will meet the constituted Commission for Air Quality Management, recently set up by the Centre, on November 23 and raise the stubble burning issue.
Atishi said the agenda for the meeting is to raise the issue of toxic smoke generating from stubble burning in neighbouring states like Punjab and Haryana and “inaction” by the state governments to control the pollution.
“The Air Quality Commission has accepted the proposal to meet the representatives of the Delhi Assembly panel for the environment this Monday. We will demand stringent action against the CMs of Punjab and Haryana for their ignorance to stop the stubble burning,” the AAP MLA said.
On Wednesday, Atishi wrote to the chairperson of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), seeking action against chief ministers of Haryana and Punjab, alleging they were “directly responsible” for the pollution in Delhi.
The AAP wants to appeal to the commission as well as the Supreme Court to take a suo motu cognizance of the matter and file cases of criminal negligence against the CMs, “who have put the entire north India in a public health emergency”, she had said.
“I am compelled to point out that the misery being faced by the residents of Delhi today, is almost entirely attributable to the negligence and failure of the state governments of Punjab and Haryana to prevent stubble burning and farm fires in their states,” she said. The pollution caused by stubble-burning has further weakened the lungs of people, which were already affected due to Covid-19, the Kalkaji MLA said.