As northern States battle dense smog and air pollution, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his counterpart in Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar met on Wednesday and agreed to take measures aimed at preventing recurrence of smog in the winter of 2018.
“We are happy to have had a very fruitful meeting. We recognise our deep and shared concern over heavy smog in the national capital region and have agreed upon the need for action on many measures aimed at preventing its recurrence in the winter of 2018,” said the CMs in a joint statement.
Quick action
Expressing concern over rising air pollution, both States agreed that such episodes of smog lead to serious health risks, and requires concrete and quick action.
“We discussed crop residue burning and vehicular pollution, and resolved to put in sustained efforts in pursuance of the jointly identified action points in coming days, weeks and months,” said the statement.
Along with Mr. Kejriwal, Delhi’s Environment Minister Imran Hussain and Environment Department Secretary Keshav Chandra attended the meeting. Haryana’s Environment Minister Vipul Goel, Chief Secretary D. S. Dhesi and Additional Chief Secretary (environment) Dheera Khandelwal also participated in the talks.
More meetings
It was decided that in the near future, both States would continue to hold discussions on other sources of air and water pollution.
Reacting to the meeting, Punjab Irrigation and Power Minister Rana Gurjeet Singh said that Mr. Kejriwal’s sole aim was to divert the attention of the people of Delhi from his government’s failures.
“Mr. Kejriwal, by trying to involve Punjab and Haryana, is only aiming at shifting the blame and diverting the attention of the people of Delhi,” said Mr. Rana, adding: “The solution to problems in Delhi does not lie in Punjab or Haryana, but Delhi itself and you [Mr. Kejriwal] need to understand that”.
Talks a flop show: SAD
Terming Mr. Kejriwal’s trip to Chandigarh a media stunt, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) said the visit was a flop show as it did not yield anything.
SAD leader Parminder Singh Dhindsa told media that the idea of Mr. Kejriwal meeting the CMs of Haryana and Punjab was an attempt to exhibit these talks as an achievement.
Earlier in the day, SAD activists showed black flags to the cavalcade of Mr. Kejriwal in protest of no action taken by the party against its MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who has been summoned by a trial court in connection with drugs smuggling case here.
