Atishi Slams Centre Over Stubble Burning Amid Air Emergency in Delhi | GRAP Measures and Worries over Air Pollution

Delhi is currently choking under a thick blanket of toxic smog as the air quality in the national capital worsens, reaching an alarming 481 on the Air Quality Index (AQI)—the worst this season. Delhi Chief Minister Atishi Sunday attacked the central government for not acting more forcefully, putting a spot more on stubble burning by neighboring states rather than government failures, as the air pollution crisis once again looms large over Delhi.

Atishi's Outburst on Air Pollution and Stubble Burning

The AAP leader lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre, accusing it of practicing "politics on pollution" rather than taking concrete steps to tackle the growing air crisis. Atishi blamed farm fires in states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for the massive rise in air pollution. Interestingly, she said that Punjab-the state wherein AAP is ruling-has cut down stubble burning, but in other states, the central intervention hasn't made any difference. "What is the Centre doing? Only Punjab has reduced stubble burning. Why does the Centre not take action against others?

GRAP Measures and Court's Intervention With the air quality in Delhi beginning to deteriorate, the Delhi government activated the measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-3) to check pollution. That decision, however, triggered criticism and confusion. The Supreme Court sharply criticized the Delhi government for delaying the implementation of GRAP-3 and wondered whether it was activated only when the AQI exceeded the 400-mark.

The courts highlighted that the pollution problem in Delhi is annual, hence the government should have acted more promptly in dealing with it.

It cautioned that measures to control pollution would not be allowed to come below GRAP-4 without its express approval on the court's rolls even when AQI may fall below 300.

The situation has sparked debates over the effectiveness of the current anti-pollution measures and long-term solutions for improvement of air quality in Delhi.

A Growing Air Quality Crisis in Delhi The air pollution crisis in Delhi is not only an environmental issue but has turned out to be a public health emergency with harmful levels of particulate matter and toxic pollutants affecting millions of residents. While the city fights for its survival against high AQI levels, it's too early to tell if the emergency measures initiated by the government in the shape of GRAP-3 and GRAP-4 will make any difference to the still-unfolding crisis.

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