Centre merely by providing stubble burning machines won't help farmers: Delhi Dy CM Sisodia

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday lashed out at the Centre for blaming the Kejriwal government for the rising level of pollution in the national capital and said that 63,000 machines provided by the Centre to curb stubble burning cannot help 26 lakh farmers.

"The Centre has provided 63,000 machines (to curb stubble burning) in two years. How will it help 26 lakhs farmers? It will of course not! With this speed, is it a programme for 50-60 years? If it is so what should people of Delhi-NCR do for the next 50 to 60 yrs?," asked Sisodia in a press conference here.

The statement came in the wake of high pollution levels and hazardous air quality in the national capital following the festival of Diwali.

On Wednesday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said that Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh state governments should provide alternate machinery and equipment to farmers to stop them from burning stubble.

He had said the farmers were ready to use alternate machinery to prevent rising levels of pollution, but there was a lack of effort by the governments.

Hitting out at the Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, Sisodia said: "Javadekar has postponed three meetings of Environment ministers of North Indian states that were scheduled and then were never held. Either he does not have time or the problem of pollution is not his priority."

Due to the prevailing weather condition, the Delhi government on Friday had announced schools to be shut till November 5 and banned all construction activities. The government has declared a "public health emergency".