Delhi Health Minister blames stubble burning for higher COVID-19 deaths

New Delhi: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday attributed the high COVID-19 death rate in the city to the pollution caused by stubble-burning and expected a downtrend in it in the next two-three weeks.

The minister told reporters here that the pollution due to stubble-burning had created a big problem in Delhi. It caused problems in breathing and those who had COVID-19 inhaled the smoke, which aggravated the disease, he said.

Its effect on the city's COVID-19 death rate will go away in the next two-three weeks since pollution due to stubble-burning has lessened in the last few days, he said.

"There was heavy pollution due to stubble-burning amid the COVID-19 pandemic and it came as a double attack. Since the pollution due to stubble-burning is less now, the downtrend in deaths will be there in a few weeks," Jain said.

Delhi has been reporting over 100 deaths almost every day this month, with Sunday's figure showing that five people had lost their battle with the virus every hour in 24 hours here.

While a total of 511 COVID-19 deaths were recorded across the country on Sunday, Delhi accounted for the largest chunk of such fatalities with 121 fatalities, the data updated at 8 am on Monday showed.

Delhi has reported a death rate of 1.58 per cent among COVID-19 patients as compared to the national fatality rate of 1.48 per cent.

Meanwhile, AAP MLA and chairperson of Environment Committee of Delhi Assembly Atishi on Monday met with the newly-appointed panel for Air Quality Management and urged it to hold chief ministers of Punjab and Haryana accountable for causing pollution in the national capital.