Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held the Haryana and Punjab government responsible for the rising pollution levels in the capital.
In his assessment of the situation today, The Chief Minister, who has been criticized by Congress and the BJP for not handling the crisis, described the national capital as a "gas chamber." In a social media post, Mr Kejriwal also said that his administration had begun to distribute 50 lakh masks to "protect us from this toxic air" with.
"The Khattar and Captain governments are forcing farmers to burn stubble, which is causing severe pollution in Delhi. Yesterday, people protested at Punjab and Haryana Bhawan and expressed their anger against the governments there," wrote CM.
Air quality in Delhi has plummeted after Diwali, the lowest in five years said Chief Minister Kejriwal. The Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded 412 this morning, falling in the "very extreme" category, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).
According to reports, stubble burning contributed 35 per cent of Delhi-NCR air pollution on Wednesday, 24 per cent of it on Thursda and is expected to reach 25 per cent today.
The centre has provided farmers with between 50 and 80 per cent aid for the procurement of essential machinery and technologies to help turn waste agricultural materials such as straw into fertilizer rather than burning it and adding pollution.