Arvind Kejriwal responsible for deteriorating air quality in Delhi: BJP's Vijay Goel

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Goel on Sunday targeted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the rising menace of air pollution in the national capital.

Participating in a cycle rally, the BJP leader claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi has not taken any requisite measures to curb air pollution and added that all the measures were taken by the central government.

"Arvind Kejriwal is responsible for the deteriorating quality of air in Delhi. In the past five years, their government has not done taken any substantial steps to decrease air pollution. They have not taken any steps so far," he said.

"It is the central government which has taken important steps to combat air pollution. They have made national highways, bridges and also allocated Rs 11,000 crore for the farmers who were burning stubble in Punjab and Haryana," the BJP leader added.

The Kejriwal-led government in Delhi has announced the implementation of the Odd-Even scheme from November 4 to 15, 2019, stating that the smog from the nearby states due to the burning of crop residue is the major cause of pollution in the region.

Farmers residing in Haryana and Punjab usually burn crop residue after harvesting paddy in the autumn season in order to clear the fields for summer harvest. Smoke from these two states travels to the national capital each year, leading to a spike in the air pollution levels.