'Agencies should stop blaming residents for pollution'

Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday said central government agencies should stop blaming the national capital's residents for the rising pollution in the city and protecting the neighbouring states which are unable to curb stubble burning.

The party's remarks came after the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said earlier in the day that 93 per cent of pollution in Delhi on Friday was due to local factors and the remaining 7 per cent was caused by stubble burning.

The pollution watchdog clarified that these figures could change depending on meteorological factors.

Earlier this week, the Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) said stubble burning was responsible for only one per cent pollution in Delhi.

Senior AAP leader Gopal Rai said the government agencies must stop protecting the failures of Delhi's neighbouring states.

"The CPCB must publish a comprehensive report which will include contribution of all factors causing pollution in Delhi. It's the time to find out the reasons of pollution in Delhi and solve the problem and not to play the blame game," he said.

The AAP leader said his party could not understand why these agencies, without figuring out the reason for the pollution spike or a solution to the problem, are actively claiming that stubble burning is not causing the pollution levels in Delhi to rise.

Rai said the Delhi government is working towards making Delhi's air clean by taking various steps like odd-even road rationing scheme.

Even the last time we brought the odd-even scheme, all the agencies acted against us, he alleged.

No immediate response was available from the CPCB.