New Delhi: On Friday Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged that there should be no blame game on the air pollution matter. Hours after his remark, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri replied to Kejriwal. Commenting on severe levels of air pollution in Delhi-NCR, Mr. Puri said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) – administering in both Delhi and Punjab – should own responsibility for the issue.
“Pollution is an issue everywhere, there are certain responsibilities that an elected government has to exercise. They are also there in Punjab, look at the incidents of stubble burning that had gone up in Punjab,” Puri was quoted as saying by the news agency ANI.
As air quality deteriorates in the capital, the Arvind Kejriwal government ramped up some actions on Friday to take control of the situation amid intensified criticism. Primary schools have been shut till November 8 in Delhi while government employees are ordered to work from home at 50 percent capacity till the situation improves.
In a statement, Delhi Environment minister Gopal Rai likewise said that other than essential services, entry of trucks was being banned in the state, and actions to control vehicular pollution such as the ‘odd-even’ rule would be considered. He said that a group of senior officials to monitor anti-polluting activities in the state will gear up to execute necessary measures.
As the air quality index declined to a severe category recorded as high as 450, authorities advised people against stepping out unless necessary. Increased instances of stubble burning in neighboring states have set the political temptation in the town on fire. As over 3,500 cases were reported in the last week in Punjab alone, the Bharatiya Janata Party attacked AAP for turning Delhi into a gas chamber while Delhi CM responded Friday that this was not time for a blame game, it won’t help in finding solutions.
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