Delhi and neighbouring cities recorded their worst air quality on Friday.
Union Environment and Climate Change Minister Prakash Javadekar on Saturday urged Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to take measures to tackle air pollution in national capital instead of indulging in ''blame-game''. "I think it is unfortunate that a Chief Minister, instead of finding solutions to mitigate pollution is into a blame game," he said.
Pollution levels in Delhi and neighbouring cities took a turn for the worse on Friday with the region recording its worst air quality forcing authorities to shut schools, ban all construction activities and declare a public health emergency. The pollution level dropped marginally today with a slight increase in the wind speed. The city's overall air quality index (AQI) stood at 407 at 10 am. It was 484 at 4 pm on Friday, according to official data.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose two-day visit to Delhi coincided with one of the worst spells of pollution in the national capital region, said the pollution in Delhi presented a very good argument on the need for electric buses.
"We have launched Indo-German partnership for green urban mobility. We have earmarked US$1 Billion towards this. Whoever has looked at pollution in Delhi yesterday would find very good arguments to replacing diesel buses with electric buses," the German Chancellor said at a business meeting in Delhi.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed Delhi a "gas chamber" and blamed stubble burning in neighbouring Haryana and nearby Punjab for the apocalyptic haze shrouding the city. The share of stubble burning in Delhi''s pollution stood at 46 per cent on Friday, the highest so far, according to the Ministry of Earth Sciences'' air quality monitor, SAFAR.
Here are the HIGHLIGHTS on Delhi pollution:
Evolve consensus to counter pollution in Delhi: Punjab CM to Modi
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has written an emotional letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, underlining the need for evolving a consensus on tackling the issue, rising above political affiliations and regional considerations.
In his letter, the Chief Minister said: "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."
Pointing out that his own children and grandchildren living in Delhi, were currently sharing the plight of the lakhs of people in the national capital as a result of the toxic air enveloping the city, he said the prevailing situation "has exposed the hollowness of our claims of being a progressive and developed nation."
"How can a country be called developed when its capital city has been reduced to a gas chamber, not by any natural disaster but a series of man-made ones?" he asked.
Delhi has become "unbreathable": Arjun Ramphal
Actor Arjun Rampal says the air in Delhi has become "unbreathable" and believes it''s about time people do the right thing to save the capital city.
Mr Rampal, who arrived in Delhi on Saturday, took to Twitter to share his plight.
Unfortunate that Arvind Kejriwal is politicising air pollution issue: Environment Minister
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has accused Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of politicising the issue of air pollution and instigating students to write a letter to Haryana and Punjab chief ministers over the issue.
Officials are using water sprinklers to mitigate dust pollution in Delhi and neighboring areas.
Bangladesh's cricket team wear pollution masks during practice session
The India vs Bangladesh first T20 International is scheduled to be held in Delhi on Sunday despite calls from environmentalists to shift it due to pollution. On Thursday, one Bangladesh player -- Liton Das -- was seen wearing a mask while training but on Friday multiple members of the Bangladesh team and support staff were seen with pollution masks as they prepared for the opening clash of the series.
The likes of Bangladesh fast bowler Al-Amin Hossain, team's spin consultant Daniel Vettori and coach Russell Domingo were all pictured wearing the pollution masks during a fielding training session on Friday.
30% rise in stubble burning cases in Punjab
The cases of crop residue fire -- a major air pollutant in Delhi-NCR -- saw a 30 per cent rise in Punjab after the harvest season this year compared to last year.
The substantial increase was recorded despite Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's fervent appeals to the farmers not to go for the quicker option of getting rid of the crop residue by setting those afire.
He even invoked the holy celebrations of 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, beginning November 9, saying he had advocated protecting natural resources.
As per official records, over 19,860 cases of stubble burning have been reported in Punjab from October 15 till October 31.
The figure is 30 per cent higher than those reported during the corresponding period last year, officials said.
Last year, Punjab saw 50,495 cases throughout the rice harvesting season that lasts till November 15.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose two-day visit to Delhi coincided with one of the worst spells of pollution in the national capital region, meets electric-rickshaw operators in Dwarka.
Earlier, the German Chancellor, in a meeting with business leaders in Delhi, said the pollution in Delhi presented a very good argument on the need for electric buses.
"We have launched Indo-German partnership for green urban mobility. We have earmarked US$1 Billion towards this. Whoever has looked at pollution in Delhi yesterday would find very good arguments to replacing diesel buses with electric buses," the German Chancellor said at a business meeting in Delhi.
Pollution levels in Delhi and surrounding areas remained in "severe" category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossing 500 this morning according to data gathered from the Lodhi Road area of the national capital. This comes after the Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA) declared a public health emergency across the National Capital Region on Friday, with pollution levels entering the "emergency" category for the first time since January.