Joint action needed to combat air pollution: Javadekar

Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday called for "joint action" by all agencies to combat the worsening air quality in the national capital, choking under a thick layer of smog.

A thick layer of toxic smog engulfed the city as the pollution level continued to remain in the 'severe' category for the fourth consecutive day on Friday.

Addressing a press conference here, Javadekar said it was not the time for different agencies to blame each other.

"Delhi pollution is not the problem of this city... Delhi's air has been worsening since the 1990s. There are new challenges every day as circumstances change. We have worked towards reducing industrial pollution, construction waste, and dust, etc. There is continuous work.

"But everyone should work together. Cooperation of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi government, all three MCDs and NDMC, DDA, and all other agencies is required to fix this. Everyone has to work together," the minister said.

He said the government was "very serious about the issue of air pollution.

"Air pollution is an issue to be tackled collectively by agencies. It is not the time to blame each other. We are very serious about the issue of pollution," the minister said.

The high pollution can be attributed to low wind speed, which has led to stagnation of pollutants in the air and slowed down the dispersion process, authorities said.

The air quality index (AQI) in Delhi was in a severe category at 467 at 10 am. All the monitoring stations recorded severe air quality, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.