Even as the residents of Delhi and NCR were left reeling under severe smog conditions the past few days, there seems to be no clear call on the exact cause of the pollution due to politics and blame-games. There is no unanimity among different governments or agencies over the real culprit behind the smog that disrupted the lives of the people.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal blamed burning of crop stubbles in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana. Union Environment Minister Anil Dave's views are diametrically opposite to those of Arvind Kejriwal. These opposing claims show how the Centre and AAP-ruled Delhi Government work on cross purposes.

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Refuting Kejriwal's claims, Dave said stubble burning was just 20 per cent of the problem. Delhi's responsibility was 80 per cent, he said. As expected, Congress vice-president and Akali Dal-BJP Government of Punjab sought to rebut Arvind Kejriwal's take over the issue.

Scientists had a different take with their observation closer to that of Kejriwal. Gufran Beig, programme director of Safar (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research), was of the view that straw burning in Punjab and Haryana contributed to 70 per cent of the air pollution in Delhi.

ARVIND KEJRIWAL

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal likened the outdoors in Delhi to a gas chamber. According to him, prima facie, the biggest reason seemed to be burning of stubble in agricultural fields in Haryana and Punjab in huge quantities. He also said fireworks during Diwali marginally added to the pollution. The other things inside Delhi did not drastically change. So the smog is mainly due to smoke from farm fires, he observed.

The main sources of pollution in Delhi, as identified by Kejriwal, are vehicular pollution, road dust and open burning of wastes. He claimed these could not be held responsible for smog. "I saw smoke across Punjab, Haryana during my visits. We need Centre's help. We are hiring an agency in a week or two to study the sources of pollution in Delhi afresh. The Centre needs to intervene," he said.

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The Delhi CM said in the prevailing circumstances, vehicle restriction measures like odd-even will not succeed in bringing down smog. Arvind Kejriwal was clearly on the defence as his government was blamed for inactivity by rivals BJP and Congress. Kejriwal himself has been blamed for devoting most of his time in poll-bound states of Punjab and Goa rather than focusing on governance in Delhi.

However, as measures to salvage the situation, the Delhi CM announced on November 6 a ban on construction and demolition activity for the next five days and shutting down the city's Badarpur thermal power plant for the next 10 days. Except for emergency services, generator sets have been banned for the next 10 days. Sprinkling of roads began from November 7 and vacuuming from November 10 to contain dust pollution. All Delhi schools have been closed till November 9.

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ANIL DAVE

The Union Environment Minister pegged the share of Delhi government's responsibility for the smog at 80 per cent. He said stubble burning was just 20 per cent of the problem. Burning of petrol, diesel, coal, wood, dry leaves and of garbage at a waste disposal ground led to pollution in Delhi. Burning of crackers can be added to that list as well, Anil Dave said.

However, the Environment Minister sought to clarify that he always made an attempt to put an end to blame game. Sensationalism and blame game have become a strategy, he said and added that people get affected by this. "They are having trouble breathing. Deal with that first. I want the states to carry out their responsibilities," he said.

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SCIENTISTS

Like Arvind Kejriwal, monitoring agency System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), under the Earth Sciences Ministry, also blamed external factors for the smog. SAFAR's project director Gufran Beig said winds are coming from North-North West, the areas where biomass burning is taking place, since November 3. The wind direction is important from the point of view of stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana which falls in the North West region. Wind blowing from that direction brings pollutant-laden smoke to Delhi, he said.

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Beig also said that the proportion of pollutants from crop fires in Delhi's air rose dramatically from almost zero on November 1 to a peak of 70 per cent on November 6. "SAFAR's chemistry transport model gives a clear picture of the share of pollution from external sources. It shows pollution load from crop fires in Punjab and Haryana rose steadily after November 1 due to favourable upper air winds," the scientist said.

Ironically, what Beig said contradicts the Environment Minister's claims.

RAHUL GANDHI

With an eye on the forthcoming Assembly elections in Punjab early 2017, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi too meddled in the raging controversy. He attacked Arvind Kejriwal over the issue in a bid to defend the Punjab farmers, a prospective vote bank of the Congress.

Blaming Punjab/Hry farmers won't solve pollution problem in Delhi.Pl learn from Sheilaji.Rise above blame game Mr Kejriwal &Mr Modi &act now Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 6, 2016

How could Punjab have tolerated Arvind Kejriwal's allegations? Countering the Delhi CM's claims, Punjab Agriculture Minister Tota Singh blamed Delhi for the problem. He said what Arvind Kejriwal had alleged was aimed at tarnishing the image of Punjab and Haryana. The Punjab Government had statistics to prove that the situation in Delhi was its own doing. "Pollution in Delhi affects other states. Crop burning is not a reason at all," he said.

At the end of it all, the sufferer remains the common man on the ground. What does he do? Get a mask till it blows over.

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Delhi smog: Only 12 pollution control officers for 550 checking centres across Capital

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