Kejriwal urges agencies not to 'mislead' public on pollution

Rejecting the reports published by multiple agencies, which claimed that stubble burning in neighbouring states is responsible for only 10 per cent of the city's pollution, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday termed the reports 'misleading'.

The Chief Minister raised questions on the basis of the analysis saying, "What is the basis of this? Real time source apportionment of pollution machines can only tell us what contributes to how much pollution and the Delhi government is trying to procure it.

"No one in India has that machine yet, so the reports can not be believed. These agencies should refrain from misleading people. These are very sensitive information and these agencies which are giving these details should act responsibly," Kejriwal said while answering a question during his press conference at the Aam Aadmi Party's office here.

The Chief Minister who has been taking credit for the low pollution levels in the capital during the last few months, went ahead to claim that no local pollutants have increased or decreased in the last few months and the sudden spike in pollution in the last one week is only due to external factors.

"We admit that Delhi has internal pollutants and these are causing the same amount of pollution as it was in September and October. Nothing drastic has happened in the last few days that would result in increasing the pollution except stubble burning which started a week back," Kejriwal said.

Many areas in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) recorded air quality in the 'very poor' category on Wednesday morning, with particulate matter less than 10 micrometers in diameter being the primary pollutant.IANS