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Delhi air quality worsens: Pollution peaks, so does petty politics; NGT, NHRC tear into authorities

Taking to Twitter, Khattar asserted that "concrete" steps are being taken to deal with the "sudden" increase in pollution in Delhi-NCR. "We have taken all possible steps in Haryana," he told reporters.

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People commute on a smoggy morning on Thursday
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While there is no solution in sight to the spiralling air pollution crisis, politics has begun among the Chief Ministers of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had sought the Centre's intervention last year. This year, it has been done by Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh. Kejriwal, however, wrote an identical letter to Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar and Singh, seeking an urgent meeting to stop stubble burning in their states.

Singh has chosen to take the matter to the doors of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking crop management compensation for farmers, who have so far been burning stubble to clear fields for the next crop despite a court ban.

Taking to Twitter, Khattar asserted that "concrete" steps are being taken to deal with the "sudden" increase in pollution in Delhi-NCR. "We have taken all possible steps in Haryana," he told reporters.

Haryana Agriculture Minister Om Prakash Dhankar wrote to Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh requesting him to let the central government allow utilisation of labour under MNREGA for disposal of paddy straw for a period of one month.

"I have been seeking a meeting with both Haryana and Punjab chief ministers since yesterday, but I have not received any response," Kejriwal said. He also said that the Punjab government should give subsidy on loans to farmers to tackle the issue.

Dismissive of the meeting offer, Singh dubbed Kejriwal a "peculiar person" who has views on everything without understanding the situation.

"There are 20 million tons of paddy straw, where do I ask farmers to store the same? So Mr Kejriwal doesn't understand this problem," he said adding that he has requested the Prime Minister to convene a meeting of the Chief Ministers of the affected states and Union Ministers as just his meeting with the Delhi CM resolves nothing.

Kejriwal suggested on Thursday that Delhi could be chipping in with some financial help to the two states to meet the cost of stopping stubble burning.

Even last year, when pollution levels in Delhi had peaked, then Union Environment Secretary AN Jha had held a meeting with the Environment Secretaries of five states — Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab — to decide on anti-pollution measures.

Then Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave had also chaired a meeting of the Environment Ministers of Delhi-NCR. Dave had then urged states to stay away from blame game.

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