A week after Diwali, Delhi continues to remain enveloped in smog despite light showers in several parts of the city since yesterday. Although the mild spell led to a marginal drop in the Air Quality Index (AQI), the pollution levels continued to remain in "severe category", with the Air Quality Index (AQI) measuring 447 at 9 am.
On Saturday, the air pollution in national capital triggered sharp reactions from Union Minister Prakash Javadekar who attacked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for "politicising the issue".
"I feel it is very unfortunate that the Delhi chief minister is politicising the issue of pollution and indulging in blame game instead of finding a solution. He is instigating children to send letters to Haryana and Punjab chief ministers to present them in a bad light and as villains," the minister said on Saturday.
With farmers continuing to defy the ban on stubble burning, a blanket of haze engulfed Punjab and Haryana that also extended to Delhi. The capital city's air quality is likely to remain "severe" due to calm winds, which is unfavourable for dispersion of pollutants, according to government air quality monitor SAFAR.
