Farmers shouldn’t be blamed for air pollution: Tikait

Ghaziabad: Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Tuesday said farmers or stubble burning should not be blamed for air pollution, citing a Supreme Court observation.

The Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson, who has been one of the most prominent faces of the protests at Delhi borders against the Centre’s farm laws, also demanded an apology from those holding the farming community responsible for pollution woes.

“Those labelling farmers as villains for air pollution due to stubble burning must apologize to farmers. The Supreme Court has also said it is not right to hold farmers responsible because only 10 percent of the pollution is caused by stubble and that too for one-and-a-half to two months,” Tikait tweeted in Hindi.

Tikait’s BKU is part of the farmers’ collective Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), which is spearheading the protests against three central farm laws at Delhi borders since November 2020, demanding their withdrawal and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for crops.

Air quality in parts of north India, particularly Delhi NCR, deteriorates to levels that impact human health during winters. Farm fires for stubble burning are considered among other contributors like industrial and vehicular emissions and firecrackers for increased air pollution.