Anger over Kejriwal leave amid crisis

POLLUTION IN DELHI REACHED ‘SEVERE’ LEVEL ON AIR QUALITY SCALE YESTERDAY

As pollution in India’s capital hit “severe” on the air quality scale yesterday, the New Delhi chief minister came under fire following reports he had left the city for an overseas family trip.

For a second year the chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, has likened Delhi to a “gas chamber” because of the pollution.

Seasonal burning of crop stubble and smoke from fireworks let off to celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwali on November 7 have aggravated already high smog levels in the past few days from vehicle emissions, industrial gases and construction work.

Local television news channels said Kejriwal had left the country on a private family trip to Dubai, triggering a backlash on social media and finger pointing on Twitter by the Delhi arm of India’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Arvind Kejriwal cares about his family so much that he urgently booked tickets and ran away to Dubai with them as soon as Delhi started choking with pollution,” said one Twitter user.

A member of Kejriwal’s party, the Aam Aadmi (Common Man) Party (AAP), said the chief minister was not in the city. He declined to elaborate or be identified because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

Construction banned

Environmental activists say residents need to be more vocal about holding political leaders to account over the pollution.

“Public pressure has to be much sharper and demand compliance. Directions, policies have been issued but stringent implementation is needed,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, an executive director at the Centre for Science and Environment, a think tank.

The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority has banned all construction activity and ordered use of sprinklers in the city until November 10, among other measures.

Yesterday, it indicated the measures would be extended until tomorrow. The city government has banned heavy vehicles from entering Delhi.