Hussain writes to union minister on stubble burning

NEW DELHI: Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain on Friday again wrote to his counterpart at the Centre Dr Harsh Vardhan requesting him to direct neighbouring state governments of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and UP to take measures to contain air pollution caused due to stubble burning.

TNS / PTI

New Delhi, October 5

Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain on Friday again wrote to his counterpart at the Centre Dr Harsh Vardhan requesting him to direct neighbouring state governments of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and UP to take measures to contain air pollution caused due to stubble burning.

He also asked the union minister to conduct an urgent high-level meeting of the chief ministers concerned, along with the Environment Ministers of the NCR states, to review the efforts being made to control the air pollution.

“Now with the festive season approaching coupled with the onset of winter, Delhi is again likely to face adverse air pollution conditions.... In this backdrop, the intervention of the Central government to direct the authorities concerned in the neighbouring states.... to take preventive, precautionary and controlling measures for air pollution resulting from crop residue burning so that the pollution levels in Delhi-NCR may be restricted during the critical period,” the minister wrote to Dr Vardhan.

Hussain also apprised the Union Environment Minister of recent reports in a section of media indicating that the incidence of crop stubble burning is likely to increase in the neighbouring states despite various measures claimed by them to control it.

It is to remember that Hussain had also written to his counterparts in Haryana, Rajasthan and UP on this issue last month.

Air quality slips to poor

Delhi's air quality slipped to poor category Friday due to reversal of wind direction, which has now started flowing form the polluted Indo-Gangetic plains, authorities said.

The overall air quality index (AQI) of 259 was recorded at 4 pm Friday which is the poor category. On Tuesday, the air quality in the national capital was oscillating between poor to moderate category.

The PM10 level was at 229 in Delhi and the PM2.5 level in the city was 108, according to a data by the central government-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research.