We should rise above politics to combat air pollution: Dushyant Chautala

A day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused the Haryana government of "forcing farmers to burn stubble" and thereby causing the pollution crisis in the national capital, Jannayak Janata Party President Dushyant Chautala on Saturday asserted had that been the case, then Haryana would have been at a greater risk. Also, the leader requested the Delhi government not to politicise the matter and further advised to work at the joint level.

New Delhi:Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Saturday said the leaders should rise above politics and collectively take actions to combat air pollution in a sustainable manner so that the issue can be resolved permanently.

"It is an environmental issue. We should collectively take actions, which have a long-term impact on combating air pollution and the matter can be resolved once and for all. We should rise above politics," he said during a press conference here.

Data released by NASA on Stubble burning

Deputy Chief Minister Chautala said that the Central government should lead the efforts in consultation with Haryana, UP, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Punjab.

"Stubble burning has decreased in Haryana. Data show that this year, there has been a fall in stubble burning by 34 per cent. Continuous efforts are being made to further decrease it," he said.

Citing data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Chautala rapped Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying that Punjab is mostly responsible for the air pollution due to stubble burning.

"According to NASA data, there is not much stubble burning on the border regions of Haryana. It is mostly from Punjab. And if the air pollution is making its way to Delhi, it cannot simply be stopped by sealing borders," he said.

Chautala also said that the fire incidents in the dump yards in the national capital also contribute to air pollution in the city. "Delhi government should also monitor that," he said.

The air quality in the national capital has slumped to the 'hazardous category' with the pollution level hovering near 400 owing to stubble burning in the neighbouring states.