‘I take responsibility for Punjab stubble burning’: Arvind Kejriwal at HTLS 2022

Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2022: "On behalf of my party and the Punjab government, I take responsibility for Punjab farm fires," said Arvind Kejriwal.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has taken full responsibility for Punjab farm fires - one of the reasons for air pollution in the national capital and its neighbouring cities, on the behalf of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal at Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2022 on Saturday.

"On behalf of my party and the Punjab government, I take responsibility for Punjab farm fires," said Kejriwal on the final day of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit (HTLS) 2022 on Saturday.

The Delhi chief minister added, “There is stubble burning in Punjab. The farmers don't want to burn stubble because other governments didn’t focus on solution… I am asking for one more year, I think the stubble burning should decline from next year," Kejriwal.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data on Satuday showed Delhi's air quality index (AQI) remained in the 'very poor' category with the overall index recorded at 311 at morning 9am.

Kejriwal's statement comes days after he and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann took responsibility for stubble burning in the border state and promised to curb the practice by next winter amid alarming levels of air pollution in the capital and its surrounding areas.

Kejriwal, however, claimed that air pollution in winters was not a “Delhi-specific problem” as it affected entire northern India, and that there should be no blame game on the issue.

With smog engulfing the national capital, the air quality in the city was recorded in the 'very poor' category earlier in the day with an AQI of 337, as per the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).

On Friday morning, the overall AQI of the city stood at 324.

In the National Capital Region (NCR) Noida recorded an AQI of 353, in the 'very poor' category, while Gurugram recorded an AQI of 346 and continued to remain in the ‘very poor category’.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

Amid the thick layer of smog blanketing the national capital, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has issued a passenger advisory due to low visibility.