AAP MP Raghav Chadha speaks in Parliament
Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha loudly raised the issue of rising air pollution in Parliament on Tuesday. He said air pollution was not just a problem in Delhi but in North India as a whole. Apart from Delhi, the situation is also worse in many cities in other states such as Noida, Agra, Faridabad, Muzaffarnagar and Bhagalpur.
During this time, Raghav Chadha also said that stubble burning is not the only cause of air pollution and it is completely wrong to blame farmers. He said the incidents of stubble burning in Punjab have decreased this year compared to previous years. Incidents of stubble burning have decreased by more than 70% in Punjab.
People should not let farmers become criminals
Raghav Chadha said that every year when November comes, farmers are blamed. All year round, we say farmers are the providers of food, but once it comes time to burn the stubble, they are declared criminals. Citing a report by the Indian Institute of Technology, he said there are many causes of air pollution and straw burning is one of them. But it would be wrong to place all the blame on farmers.
Raghav Chadha gives the solution to the problem
Councilor Raghav Chadha also proposed solutions to the problem of stubble burning. He appealed to the government to provide compensation of Rs 2,500 per acre to farmers in Punjab and Haryana. Of this, the central government should provide Rs 2,000 and the state government should provide Rs 500. This compensation will help farmers stop burning straw and reduce pollution.
He also said that it is high time that states like Punjab and Haryana should make efforts to shift from rice cultivation to crops like maize, pulses, oilseeds and cotton.
Necessary propaganda activities among farmers
Raghav Chadha suggested that farmers should be aware of alternatives to stubble burning. The government should provide subsidies for biodegraders and machinery. Farmers should be trained in new farming methods and state and central governments should work together in this direction.
