Union Environment Minister Prakash Javedekar said on Thursday that only four percent of Delhi’s pollution is due to burning stubble and the rest comes from local factors such as dust, construction, burning of biomass, etc. Javadekar’s comment blaming Delhi for its pollution level sparked a debate as Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai pointed out that the air quality index in the capital city, which faces serious pollution problems every year during the beginning of winter, it was normal 15 days ago. What the people of Delhi did in the last 15 days to lead to the deterioration of the air quality, the minister asked the Center.
“It appears that the Center has become a mouthpiece for the stubble burning states and is competing with Delhi. We are taking measures to combat pollution in Delhi and we want the cooperation of the Center on the source of pollution outside Delhi, ”Rai said.
“The Union Environment Minister said today that burning stubble contributes only 4% to pollution in Delhi. The air quality index was normal 15 days ago, I want to ask you what the people of Delhi did in 15 days that led to this kind of situation, ”Rai said, attributing the increase in the pollution level of the capital city to the burning of stubble in Punjab and Haryana.
The benefits of the lockdown began to wane in the past two weeks as Delhi’s air quality began to be classified as “poor”. Thursday at 11:10 a.m. M., The air quality index was 315, which is included in the “very poor” category. On Wednesday, the overall air quality index was 276 in the “poor” category.
The AAP-led government of Delhi has been taking a number of measures to mitigate the impact of rising pollution levels. On Wednesday, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee banned the use of fuel generators from October 15 under the Graduated Response Action Plan, which is a set of anti-pollution restrictions that includes preventive measures to prevent quality air deteriorates into an emergency. levels. Grap also includes tough measures such as a trucking ban, restrictions on odd and even roads, restrictions on construction sites and a notice to close schools.
On Thursday, Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a new anti-pollution campaign whereby people will be encouraged to turn off their vehicle engines while waiting at traffic lights.
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