Fight against pollution: CM Arvind Kejriwal asks Delhi to not burst crackers this Diwali

New Delhi : In a fight against pollution in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged the residents of the capital to not burst crackers this Diwali in view of rising air pollution amidst the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. In an online press briefing, Mr Kejriwal said that his cabinet ministers will perform 'Lakshmi Puja' at 7:39 pm at someplace and urged Delhiites to join them from their homes by watching it on television.

He mentioned that Delhi is currently fighting two major issues – coronavirus and air pollution; adding that his government is trying all possible steps to control the situation.

“The COVID-19 situation is deteriorating in Delhi due to rising air pollution,” he said while appealing to people to avoid bursting firecrackers this Diwali.

“If we burst firecrackers on this Diwali, we are playing with the lives of our children and families…,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ air quality monitor, SAFAR, said the farm fire count in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and neighbouring areas increased significantly and stood at 4,135 on Wednesday, the highest this season so far. SAFAR said the boundary layer wind direction is northwesterly favourable for the transport of pollutants from farm fires.

"The share of stubble burning in Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution was estimated at 42 percent for Thursday," it said. Stubble burning accounted for five percent of Delhi’s pollution on Wednesday, 10 percent on Tuesday, 16 percent on Monday and 40 percent on Sunday. Last year, the stubble contribution to Delhi’s pollution had peaked to 44 percent on November 1, according to SAFAR data.