Piyush Goyal Criticizes Blaming Punjab Farmers for Delhi Pollution

Union Minister Piyush Goyal has recently termed blaming farmers in Punjab for the pollution in Delhi as "ridiculous" and asked everyone to reconsider such assumptions. During an event organized by the IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Goyal, who handles the commerce and industry portfolio, underlined that the issue of pollution needs more thoughtful thinking.

He raised the objections against attributing the pollution in Delhi, which is about 500 kilometers away, to the stubble burning culture of Punjab farmers. Goyal questioned the reasoning behind how the pollution could travel that distance, going through the high rises of Gurgaon before it reaches New Delhi. While Goyal clarified that he is not in favor of the stubble burning practice, he ensured to reiterate once more that stubble burning is not the only or main cause of the pollution in Delhi.

The stubble burning problem, especially after the summer crop harvest, has been a disputed topic with most blaming high levels of air pollution in Delhi on it. Goyal argued, however, that one had to view the problem in a broader context and target the cause of pollution, not just the agricultural activities.

The air quality in Delhi has been an issue for decades now, with the air in Delhi remaining poor for the majority of the year. The overabundance of pollution has caused the population health hazards, including breathing diseases, and has led to the present environmental crisis within the city. Goyal did, however, mention that addressing only a few causes, such as stubble burning, overlooks other important contributors.

He pointed out car exhaust and construction work as the major causes of urban pollution, and he appealed to industry owners and residents to shift to cleaner alternatives. Goyal stressed that precast construction and electric mobility are not only green but also affordable.

Precast construction, Goyal said, is quicker and more efficient to accomplish, with lower emissions and pollution. He also added that the world is already moving in this direction, where nations and cities are already embracing precast methods for their infrastructure requirements.

As a response to the problem of electric mobility, Goyal presented an unassailable case for the business case of shifting to electric vehicles (EVs) from conventional internal combustion engine vehicles. He called on businesses to go in for electric vehicles for movement of goods and services as an economically sound and sustainable option.

The Union Minister requested businesses to take the lead in adopting electric mobility for commercial and personal transport. He requested citizens to adopt a shift in movement culture and experiment with electric vehicles for daily commutes.

Additionally, Goyal compared Indian cities with Dubai and Singapore in terms of the cleanliness of cities, and he mentioned the difference when it comes to dust and aged infrastructure. He mentioned that even in some of the most developed cities, fundamental problems such as dust in the atmosphere and unevenly maintained pathways are less common than in Indian cities, thereby indicating a necessity for a shift in the way urban cities are managed.

Finally, Goyal requested citizens, industries, and government bodies to take responsibility for the pollution scenario. Rather than blaming it outrightly on extraneous forces, he requested all to look inwards at what each one's role in perpetuating the situation and then offer realistic, practicable solutions.

Goyal's remarks come at a time when the issue of air pollution in Delhi continues to be an ongoing one. While stubble burning is the usual suspect, it is clear that more still needs to be done to end the pollution saga in India's capital on a more multi-layered and wider scale.