Air pollution in Delhi can be controlled in less than 4 years: Arvind Kejriwal

Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said air pollution in Delhi can be controlled in less than four years’ time if all concerned governments and parties come together.

He said, “I heard Union Environment Minister, Prakash Javadekar’s statement over pollution and I 100%, agree with him but don’t agree with the time period of 4 years he gave to control it. I feel all governments should come together and launch a joint war against air pollution.”

He added “If all governments and all parties come together leaving politics aside we can control pollution in less than 4 years time. I would like to request Union Environment Minister to hold meetings with Chief Ministers of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab every month.” Every year the air quality of northern India gets deteriorated in winters.

“Till now the Central government is only convening meetings with the Environment Ministers of the States of north India. I want to request the Union Environment Minister to call a meeting of the Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi every month because this is a big issue and it can’t be managed only at the level of the Environment Ministers of these States,” the Delhi Chief Minister said.

Kejriwal said that while Indian Agricultural Research Institute (PUSA) scientists had developed a chemical that decomposes stubble and turns it into manure in Delhi, there was a factory in Karnal where stubble gets converted to compressed bio-gas (CBG) which can be used just as CNG.

The CM further added in Punjab there are around seven factories which make coal and coke from stubble. People from these factories go to the fields, cut the stubble and pay the farmers on ₹500-per-acre basis. Later these companies sell the coal to NTPC.

“This means that from stubble we can produce coal, coke, CNG and cardboards. If the State governments of India start utilising these new technologies by which rather than burning the stubble the farmers can increase their income by selling the stubble, then it can put a halt to this problem,” he said.