Modi holds meet on pollution crisis

New Delhi, November 5

As the air quality in Delhi-NCR hovered between “severe” and “very poor” category, the pollution situation in northern India was reviewed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a day after the Supreme Court ordered an immediate and complete stop to stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

“PM Narendra Modi chaired a meeting in which the situation arising due to pollution in various parts of northern India was discussed,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) tweeted on Tuesday.

This was Modi’s first meeting on pollution after he returned from Thailand. The PMO has held a series of meetings since Sunday when Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) deteriorated sharply and resulted in choking conditions.

On Monday, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister PK Mishra had reviewed the measures taken by the states of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi to tackle air pollution. Mishra sought to know the details of additional measures taken to check fresh cases of fire and stubble burning in these states during the last 24 hours. Mishra emphasised the importance of pre-emptive action. — Agencies

Stubble burning continues: review

New Delhi: As people in Delhi and surrounding areas continue to breath toxic air, a review of air pollution in North India by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Tuesday found that crop stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana still continues. The states have been asked to deploy more monitoring teams to ensure that the “violators are taken to task”. PTI

Air quality improves

Delhi's air quality index dropped from 365 at 9.45 am to 331 at 3.45 pm on Tuesday. Greater Noida at 348, Noida 358, Ghaziabad 351, Faridabad 311 and Gurgaon (328) also recorded improvement in air quality