AAP's Raghav Chadha on pollution: No action from adjoining states

Aam Aadmi Party's spokesperson Raghav Chadha said that the Kejriwal government in New Delhi has been working extensively towards in order to solve the rising pollution that engulfs the city every winter. Chadha, talking about the origin/source of the pollution said that it is the stubble burning in the state of Punjab and Haryana.

READ: Delhi CM Kejriwal Speaks To Students About Pollution, Hands Out Masks

People of Delhi suffering because of someone else's actions

Chadha said, "The Arvind Kejriwal government, over the last five years has taken at least two dozen measures to curb air pollution and as a result of those two dozen measures, one has seen that the levels of air pollution in Delhi have come down by 25%. It is the Central Government's own agency that has put out the figures and substantiated the fact that the air in New Delhi has become 25% cleaner because of Mr. Kejriwal's efforts. Having said that, in the month of October and November, there is something called stubble burning that happens in the neighbouring states. Delhi is a landlocked city, we have surrounded by states and the states, in particular, Punjab and Haryana do witness stubble burning in the months of October and November and once stubble is burnt, the air becomes toxic and Delhi becomes a gas chamber. The Haryana and Punjab governments have refused to take any action in order to stop stubble burning."

Chadha also added that the decision of providing children with masks was implemented by the Chief Minister in order to ensure that the children are directly affected by the toxic air. "It is because of their apathy that the people of Delhi are suffering today Mr. Kejriwal and his government are deeply concerned about the people of Delhi and in particular about the children of Delhi. Thus, Mr. Kejriwal and his government have distributed 5 million masks to the children, to the school going kids in Delhi so that they can wear the masks in their outdoor activities."

READ: SC-mandated EPCA Declares Public Health Emergency In Delhi-NCR

The rising pollution in the national capital is a story that repeats every year with politicians blaming each other over the rising pollution. The Environment Pollution (Prevention) and Control Authority (EPCA), on Friday, issued an immediate ban over the construction activities and declared the situation a 'public emergency'. In a letter to the chief secretaries of Delhi and the neighboring states, he said, "Air quality in Delhi and NCR has deteriorated further as of last night and is now at the severe + level. We have to take this as a public health emergency as air pollution is now hazardous and will have adverse health impacts on all, but particularly our children”.

International notice

Germany's Chancellor, Angela Merkel is visiting India on an official visit and in a statement on Saturday morning said, "We have launched Indo-German partnership for green urban mobility. We have earmarked $1 billion towards this. We will also earmark 200 million euros to reform the bus sector in Tamil Nadu. Whoever looked at pollution in Delhi yesterday would find very good arguments to replace diesel buses with electric buses."

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