Watch: This UP Mantri suggests to perform special 'Yagna' to tackle air pollution

Lucknow, Nov 04: Sunil Bharala, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in Uttar Pradesh said that the stubble burning by farmers doesn't really add to pollution and also urged people not to criticise it. He also said that the Yogi Adityanath government should instead attempt to please rain god Indra to tackle the severe air quality in the state as well as in Delhi.

The minister added that when the farmers cultivate sugarcane and other crops, such wastes are bound to generate and criticising them for burning the wastes is an attack on them.

Bharala, the chairperson of the Labour Welfare Council (Shramik Kalyan Board), gave his suggestions to his own party's government during an interview to a news agency.

"Parali (stubble) is an attack on farmers. Those born from farmer families do not understand that when a farmer harvests the crop, the waste crop is created. Whether it is urad dal or moong daal, it will have wastage. It has always been burnt. If it is burnt, it will create some smoke. That does not increase pollution. That is a natural system of farmers. This attack on farmers is unfortunate. The government should hold a 'Yagna' and pray to Lord Indra so it rains and things will be taken care of," he said.

Bharala's advice came at a time estate capital Lucknow's air quality index (AQI) zoomed past 400 - the level considered most hazardous.

Meanwhile, the Union environment ministry had earlier filed an affidavit in October stating stubble burning is one of the major contributors to bad air quality in Delhi in October and November.

Over 22,000 cases of stubble burning had been witnessed in Punjab and more than 4,200 incidents in Haryana in the recent days, officials said.