New Delhi: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Sunday said the Central government must hold an “emergency” meeting of states neighbouring the national capital to devise a mechanism to deal with crop residue burning due to which the city’s air quality has deteriorated.
Rai said the incidents of crop residue burning in other states and Delhi’s air quality are linked as deteriorating air quality figures show.
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“There was also effect of cracker bursting on Diwali but it's waning now. The effect of parali' burning, however, continues to worsen air quality in Delhi,” PTI quoted the Delhi Environment Minister as saying at a press conference here.
Stating that he has written to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav asking for an “emergency” meeting of the states, including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi to find a mechanism to address the perennial issue of crop residue burning and high level of air pollution in the national capital, Rai added that crop residue burning in the neighbouring states is responsible for worsening air quality in the national capital during winters.
Rai’s remarks came as the city’s air quality index (AQI) stood at 437 in the severe category at 8 a.m. on Sunday.
Earlier on Saturday, the city’s air quality index stood at 449.
An AQI between 401 and 500 is considered severe, 401 and 500 severe, 301 and 400 very poor, 201 and 300 poor, 101 and 200 moderate, 51 and 100 satisfactory and zero and 50 is considered good.