Arvind Kejriwal said a “war room” is being established to monitor all anti-pollution measures.
New Delhi:
Scientists have found a solution for burning stubble, a liquid that turns it into compost for fields, Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said today, while speaking of the national capital’s plans to curb pollution in the context. of the coronavirus outbreak.
Stubble burning is one of the key sources of the dense, dense smog that hangs in the air after October. Most of it comes from the agricultural fields of neighboring Punjab and Haryana, where farmers take the easy route to prepare the fields for the upcoming planting season.
Punjab and Haryana officials said that this year, stubble burning started at least a week earlier than usual, due to the early harvest of several varieties of rice. Delhi’s air quality is already in the “poor” category with an AQI (Air Quality Index) level of 262.
Presenting the government’s plan to counteract pollution today, Kejriwal said that this year, scientists from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute have found a “cheap solution” to burning stubble.
This, he said, is a solvent that can be sprayed onto fields, turning the stubble into compost. “The Delhi government is going to spray this in agricultural areas in Delhi,” he said.
Noting the outbreak of coronavirus affecting the lungs, making people more vulnerable during the polluted atmosphere of Delhi’s winters, he said: “We must all come together to deal with burning stubble. My call is that, Just as the Delhi government proposed an alternative, other state governments should do this as well. “
A “war room” is being set up to monitor all the anti-pollution measures his government is taking, Kejriwal said at a digital press conference, announcing seven measures to keep smog at bay. The list includes extensive use of mechanical sweepers and anti-smog guns.
“Our teams will inspect construction sites in Delhi and impose heavy fines or penalties if they are not found following anti-pollution measures,” said the Chief Minister.
This year, the people of Delhi had months of relatively clean air due to the closure. From March to September, air quality was mostly in the “satisfactory” or “moderate” category.
.
