18 farmers in Haryana were arrested by the police for engaging in stubble burning.
18 farmers in Haryana were arrested by the police for engaging in stubble burning.

Thriving in Delhi, the Haryana government is taking proactive steps to address pollution. Haryana Police has, until now, apprehended 18 farmers in Kaithal district for the alleged crime of setting fire to stubble. 22 farmers have had cases filed against them. Kaithal district Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Bir Bhan shared this information on Wednesday.

The police officer’s comment coincides with political parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accusing each other of failing to adequately address pollution levels in the National Capital Territory (NCT), where the air quality index has deteriorated to ‘very poor’ levels, exceeding 300.

DSP Bhan stated that both the agriculture department and the police are monitoring individuals who burn stubble and are educating the public about its criminality. He mentioned that a total of 18 farmers have been detained for setting fire to crop residue. 22 farmers are facing charges in a legal case. A combined team from the agriculture department and the police is conducting patrols and educating the public with flag marches about the illegality of burning stubble.

Gopal Rai, Delhi’s Environment Minister, showed worry about the increasing pollution levels in the capital city.

Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai previously voiced worry about the increasing pollution in the capital city. He mentioned the winds blowing in the northwest direction could impact pollution levels due to neighboring states’ stubble burning. Rai mentioned that he plans to send another letter to Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav and urge him to organize a meeting to address air pollution for the third time.

Rai mentioned that he had sent a letter to the Environment Minister of the Union more than six weeks earlier, requesting a meeting to discuss implementing essential measures in Delhi. He stated that without a meeting at this moment, we won’t be able to carry out the artificial rain experiment again. He also mentioned that diesel buses release a significant amount of dangerous pollutants that cause respiratory illnesses and other health issues.