Delhi pollution: CM Kejriwal writes to neighbouring states over crop burning

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal writes to neighboring states urging them to check burning crops/ File image PTI

New Delhi: Considering the extremely poor air quality in the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday blamed the crop burning by neighboring states as a reason behind intense pollution in Delhi. Acting on the same, Delhi Government also wrote to neighboring states urging them to take necessary steps to check crop burning. CM Kejriwal took to his Twitter account and said, “Delhi govt wrote letters to adjoining states in Aug urging them to take steps to check crop burning”.  

Delhi govt wrote letters to adjoining states in Aug urging them to take steps to check crop burning https://t.co/L9AlbuGISm

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 7, 2017

CM also said that he has been mulling about shutting down of schools for a few days. “Considering high level of pollution, I have requested Sh Manish Sisodia, Education Minister, to consider closing schools for a few days” CM said. This comes after IMA declared “Delhi in public health emergency state” and urged that schools should be shut down and people must avoid stepping out. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi Technical University (DTU) in north Delhi, ITO in central Delhi, Anand Vihar in west Delhi and areas in Ghaziabad and Noida recorded a "severe" rating on the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 5 p.m on Monday. According to the satellite images from NASA's fire mapper, stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana has increased. The average PM2.5 or particles with diameter less than 2.5mm - the major pollutant - was 353 units, about 14 times the safe limit by 8 p.m in Delhi, with average AQI value of 356, considered "very poor".