"No use in blaming others": Union Minister Khattar amid Delhi's severe air crisis

Karnal (Haryana) [India], November 19 (ANI): Amid deteriorating air quality in Delhi, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday emphasized that both the state and central governments are actively working to combat air pollution, saying there is "no use in blaming" others.

"All departments are taking combined action against pollution. The Supreme Court has also become strict on this. GRAP-4 has been implemented in Delhi... The state government and central government are all engaged in eliminating pollution. There is no use in blaming others," Khattar told reporters after a meeting with officials regarding development works at the Mini Secretariat in Haryana.

Khattar highlighted that between September 15 and 18 November, Haryana recorded 1118 cases of stubble burning, whereas Punjab logged 9600 during the same period.

Deputy Commissioner Bathinda Shaukat Ahmed Pare said that in 2023 about 2700 incidents were recorded, whereas this year, 670 incidents of stubble burning were recorded, adding that more than 75 per cent drop is recorded.

However, Punjab recorded its highest single-day count of stubble-burning incidents this season on Monday, with 1,251 cases reported.

Data from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) shows that the total number of farm fires in the state has reached 9,655 this year.

The surge underscores the ongoing challenge of stubble burning, a major contributor to air pollution in northern India. Monday's figures have surpassed the daily tallies of the past three years, with 701 incidents reported on the same day in 2022 and 637 in 2023.

Officials from the PPCB have stressed the need for stricter enforcement and greater cooperation from farmers to tackle the issue effectively.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi highlighted ongoing infrastructure development in the national capital, saying that work is progressing "on a war footing.""Infrastructure is being expanded on a war footing in Delhi. Be it roads or flyovers, development work is progressing rapidly. The fourth phase of the metro is also expanding rapidly. Today, I inspected the State-of-the-Art Driverless Train at the Mukundpur Depot," the Delhi CM said.

The national capital's air quality remained in the 'severe plus' category for the second consecutive day on Tuesday morning, with smog reducing visibility and worsening pollution to touch alarmingly high levels. (ANI)