Delhi’s air quality dubbed ‘Very Poor”

NEW DELHI: Air quality in Delhi was described as ‘very poor’ on October 20, due to the stubble burning in neighboring states of Punjab and Haryana. Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of Delhi tweeted on October 19 that the national capital will soon turn in to a “gas chamber” blaming the central, Punjab and Haryana governments for not taking any action against stubble burning.

Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi on October 18, has requested the Centre and the governments of Haryana and Punjab to implement measures in the wake of the deteriorating air quality in north India, including Delhi.

“The Centre should intervene. Farmers have not been given subsidy. This is the failure on the part of the central and the state governments. As December and January is nearing, the entire north India, including Delhi, is close to becoming a gas chamber,” Sisodia said.

Despite strict prohibition on Stubble burning, farmers continue to do so due to the lack of feasible alternatives. They blamed the industries, and vehicles as the main cause of air pollution.

Delhi’s Lodhi road area witnessed prominent levels of pollutants of 2.5 pm (particulate matter) and 10 pm at 226 and 267 respectively in the air on October 20, according to the Air Quality Index Data.

While the citizens of Delhi are breathing poisonous air the blame game continues between the centre and state governments. While governments of Punjab and Haryana claims that they are providing subsidy to farmers to buy machines and stop stubble burning and even punitive measures have been initiated but it appears that it is not working on the ground.