NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday urged the governments in neighbouring Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh to provide necessary machinery and equipment alternative modes of disposing crop residue.
Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat on Wednesday, the chief minister listed the measures undertaken by his government to check rising air pollution.
“Look around and you will see how polluted the air in Delhi is. The city is literally struggling for clean air because of stubble burning in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. I request the BJP to put pressure on its governments in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to provide farmers with the necessary wherewithal, which will keep them from lighting up crop waste. I also urge the Congress to do likewise in Punjab,” the CM said.
He said, “On behalf of the people, I urge the Centre and governments of NCR states to help us in our fight against pollution.”
The chief minister also commended officials and agencies involved in holding the mega laser show at Connaught Place, which was aimed at reducing cracker bursting on Diwali.
“Thousands turned up for the laser show. It was a first-of-its-kind experiment aimed at keeping people for bursting crackers and it has proved to be a successful one,” Kejriwal said.
Crop burning fuelling pollution
According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ air quality monitor SAFAR, the share of stubble burning in Delhi’s pollution has risen to 35 per cent, the season’s highest