Delhi Air Quality Dips, Blame Game Begins: Only 4% Pollution Due To Stubble Burning, Says Prakash Javadekar; Arvind Kejriwal Hits Back

Addressing an online media briefing, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said there are one crore vehicles registered in the city. Switching off vehicle engines will not only stop pollution but also result in saving of Rs 7,000 per vehicle per year, he said. The chief minister said air pollution rises in Delhi this time of the year due to stubble burning and expressed concern over the health of residents of villages where it is practiced. A layer of smoky haze set over Delhi-NCR, with air quality in the region hitting 'very poor' levels, even as stricter anti-air pollution measures, including a ban on electricity generators, came into force under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has banned the use of diesel generators in the national capital region from October 15 under GRAP as the air quality dipped to the "very poor'' category. However, the Ministry of Earth Sciences' Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi said its impact on the capital's air quality was marginal. Meanwhile, on October 15 Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar appealed to Punjab government to curb stubble burning but asserted that only 4% of pollution in Delhi-NCR is due to crop residue burning as the rest is due to local factors, drawing sharp criticism from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who said "being in denial will not help”. Javadekar flagged off 50 inspection teams of the Central Pollution Control Board for field visits in Delhi-NCR to keep a watch on pollution hot spots during the winter season even as a layer of smoky haze lingered over the region with the air quality hitting 'very poor' levels on October 15. Reacting to Javadekar's assertion, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal blamed him for "being in denial". Prakash Javadekar responded to Arvind Kejriwal and said his statement was misinterpreted by a section of the media.