Haze due to neighbour states’ farm fires: Dikshit
8 Nov 2012 2:24 AM GMT
With a thick haze over the city skyline indicating a sharp drop in air quality, Delhi government today said it has been the result of massive burning of straw by farmers in neighbouring Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana and not due to vehicular pollution.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said her government will soon write to the Union Environment Ministry to impress upon the two states not to allow their farmers to resort to mass-burning of their paddy stubbles.
Apprehending further drop in air quality, Dikshit, after a Cabinet meeting which discussed the issue, appealed to the citizens not to burst fire-crackers while celebrating Diwali next week.
‘The haze has not been formed because of vehicular pollution in Delhi. Experts have found out that burning of paddy straw in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana has resulted it as the smoke has found its way to Delhi,’ Dikshit said.
The Cabinet, expressing its concern over the ‘unprecedented smog cover’, decided to seek intervention of the Central government.
The Chief Minister said Delhi government will write to its Haryana and Punjab counterparts requesting immediate intervention.
‘We will also write to Union Urban Development Ministry to take up the issue with the two states as they are member of the National Capital Region Planning Board,’ Dikshit said.
The NCR Planning Board, which functions under administrative control of Urban Development Ministry, was set up to take up projects for strengthening infrastructure in the NCR region.
Officials said slow wind speed, low temperature and high humidity are other reasons that resulted the haze cover.
‘These conditions appear to have led to high dust concentration and higher concentration of oxides of nitrogen as the pollutants are unable to disperse due to inversion phenomenon,’ they said. The Cabinet also decided to take up with the UP and Haryana governments to complete work on peripheral expressways, which would go a long way in avoiding entry of vehicles not heading to Delhi.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said her government will soon write to the Union Environment Ministry to impress upon the two states not to allow their farmers to resort to mass-burning of their paddy stubbles.
Apprehending further drop in air quality, Dikshit, after a Cabinet meeting which discussed the issue, appealed to the citizens not to burst fire-crackers while celebrating Diwali next week.
‘The haze has not been formed because of vehicular pollution in Delhi. Experts have found out that burning of paddy straw in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana has resulted it as the smoke has found its way to Delhi,’ Dikshit said.
The Cabinet, expressing its concern over the ‘unprecedented smog cover’, decided to seek intervention of the Central government.
The Chief Minister said Delhi government will write to its Haryana and Punjab counterparts requesting immediate intervention.
‘We will also write to Union Urban Development Ministry to take up the issue with the two states as they are member of the National Capital Region Planning Board,’ Dikshit said.
The NCR Planning Board, which functions under administrative control of Urban Development Ministry, was set up to take up projects for strengthening infrastructure in the NCR region.
Officials said slow wind speed, low temperature and high humidity are other reasons that resulted the haze cover.
‘These conditions appear to have led to high dust concentration and higher concentration of oxides of nitrogen as the pollutants are unable to disperse due to inversion phenomenon,’ they said. The Cabinet also decided to take up with the UP and Haryana governments to complete work on peripheral expressways, which would go a long way in avoiding entry of vehicles not heading to Delhi.
Next Story
