LG calls emergency meet on crisis

Lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena summoned an emergency meeting on the air pollution crisis, asking for efforts to be stepped up to control emissions, even as the discussions bore an undercurrent of the conflict between him and the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi.

- Alok KN Mishra

The meeting, which also included the administrative brass, resulted in directions by the LG for localised interventions and for the government to issue an advisory urging at-risk people to remain indoors.

But friction that has been hampering the Capital's functioning was apparent, with Saxena appealing to neighbouring states, especially AAP-ruled Punjab, to combat farm fires, and AAP minister Gopal Rai criticising the lack of cooperation from the administrative setup.

"It was decided to appeal to the neighbouring states, especially Punjab, which accounted for 1,921 (71.57%) incidents of stubble burning out of a total of 2,684 such events on 01.11.2023...

Apart from Punjab, 99 cases of stubble burning were reported in Haryana, 95 in Uttar Pradesh and 60 in Rajasthan," the LG office said.

Rai spoke to reporters after the meeting and said he has requested the LG to issue directions to officers to join the meetings called by the elected government and cooperate so that the decisions being taken can be implemented on the ground.

"The DPCC chairman (Ashwini Kumar) has stalled the smog tower and real-time source apportionment study (of Delhi) without any decision from the Cabinet... we have requested action against him," he said.