Arvind Kejriwal draws correlation between stubble burning and AQI on Twitter

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, while talking about the current state of air pollution in the national capital, in his tweet, drew a clear comparison between the rising AQI and the burning of stubble on farms. His tweet came in reply to another tweet by DDC Delhi Vice-Chairperson Jasmine Shah who explained that the AQI levels have come down to moderate levels in most parts of Delhi since the fires in Punjab and Haryana have now reduced.

Pollution situation in Delhi

Just two days ago, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital was recorded at 482 which falls under the 'Severe' category with PM10 being 504 and PM2.5 - 332, according to Center-run SAFAR. Further, the AQI recorded near Mathura Road in Delhi was 554 (PM10) at 9:00 am on Friday, while near the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, the AQI stood at 560 (PM10), Chandni Chowk recorded an AQI of 484 (PM10) and 488 ( PM2.5).

READ | Delhi-NCR continue to battle air pollution, AQI hovers around 482 in capital

The situation got out of hand in the last few days and Residents, since the last few days, started complaining of breathlessness and suffocation during their morning walks. Additionally, residents of Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad and Noida also complained of eye irritation and breathlessness due to dust particles in the air. 

READ | SC on Delhi pollution: ‘How do people breathe?'

Supreme Court, taking upon the issue, recently criticised the Centre over deteriorating air quality in Delhi and asked the government to find a solution to the problem of air pollution. It asked the Centre to explore Hydrogen based fuel technology to find a solution to reduce air pollution in North India & Delhi-NCR.

READ |Noida air pollution stays 'severe'; authorities' guidelines here

In reply to that, the Centre also told the Supreme Court that it is exploring technology, including that from Japan and is trying to tackle air pollution. Further, it has been decided that the Centre will submit a report on the issue by December 3. During winter each year, most of northern India suffers from a spike in toxicity in the air due to the change in weather patterns and crop residue burning in the states of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.