Delhi govt's 'work from home' appeal, attack on BJP amid 'very poor' AQI

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai also said the BJP should stop abusing farmers for stubble burning, alleging the party hates farmers because of their anti-farm law protests.

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday appealed to people in the national capital to work from home and use shared transport to reduce vehicular pollution as the city's air quality index remained in the “very poor” category.

Commuters on Kartavya Path seen in a dense blanket of smog amid deteriorating air quality levels on Monday. (Sanjeev Verma/HT) )

“I appeal to people if possible work from home and avoid taking out private vehicles. 50 per cent of the pollution is from vehicles. People shouldn't burst crackers,” Rai said.

Rai also said the BJP should stop abusing farmers for stubble burning, alleging the party hates farmers because of their anti-farm law protests.

“Farmers are forced to burn stubble in Punjab because the BJP-led Centre did not support the state government's plan to provide a cash incentive to them for not burning the crop residue,” Rai said.

“The BJP is now seeking registration of FIR against farmers. Do not seek revenge, start supporting them,” the minister added.

Rai said the air pollution problem cannot be resolved through politics. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has come up with a plan, which will have to be implemented in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana too - in Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Gurugram and Bahadurgarh.

"According to a study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), 69 per cent of the air pollution in Delhi comes from outside," the minister claimed.