War of words amid health emergency; Punjab CM seeks PM Modi's intervention to evolve consensus on Delhi Pollution issue

New Delhi, November 02: Admitting that while illegal farm fires in Punjab had exacerbated the problem Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh has written to the Prime Minister seeking Centre's intervention to evolve consensus on Delhi Pollution issue.

 

This is a day after Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal accused Punjab government of forcing farmers to burn stubble and thereby cause the pollution crisis in the national capital. Singh, while accepting the fact has however said that large-scale industrial pollution, traffic overload and excessive construction activity in Delhi are equally, if not more to be blamed.

 

 

"No Indian, and definitely no person in Punjab, is oblivious to the misery of our brethren in the national capital, whatever many around the country might have been led to believe. The harsh truth is that while all of us are busy conveniently passing the buck to one another, Delhi's people are reeling under excruciating misery," he wrote today.

 

The Punjab CM has also urged all political leaders to stop playing blame games and work together for the people of Delhi, saying that nobody could be oblivious to the misery of our brethren in the national capital.

Both Singh and his Haryana counterpart, Manohar Lal Khattar, have been criticised by Kejriwal, for failing to control illegal farm fires in their respective states. The AAP chief, while distributing breathing masks to children on Friday, urged them to write letters to Captain uncle and Khattar uncle.

 

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital crossed 500 late Thursday night, entering emergency territory for the first time since January and forcing the Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA) to declare a public health emergency.

 

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the share of farm fires in pollution in Delhi on Friday was a 46 per cent; the corresponding figures for Thursday and Wednesday were 24 per cent and 35 per cent.