As the harvesting of paddy (rice) has started in parts of Punjab, the six-month-old incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is all set to face the stiff challenge of dealing with the perennial menace of stubble burning, with farmers indicating that they will continue to burn paddy stubble unless government suitably compensates them for the expenses incurred on alternative methods of disposing crop residue.
Close to the autumn season every year, stubble burning remains a contributing factor to pollution in the air, especially across the country’s northern region, and the AAP, which is in power in Delhi has over the years invariably blamed Punjab for its air pollution during the autumn month. This year, however, with AAP governments in both the States, resorting to the blame game may just not be an easy way for the party.
