Nitish expresses anxiety over soaring pollution in Delhi

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today expressed anxiety over rising pollution in Delhi and said the issue should have been addressed earlier to prevent it from soaring to such a level.
"Pollution has increased in Delhi. I think the issue must have been accorded proper attention to prevent the situation soaring to such a level," Kumar told reporters.
Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav, senior ministers Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lallan, Maheshwar Hazari and JD(U) secretary general K C Tyagi along with senior officials of the state accompanied the CM on a boat inspection of Chhath arrangements.
He said despite the countrywide awareness drive, crackers bursting on the occasion of Diwali went on unabated, but claimed the appeal against bursting of crackers had a positive impact in Bihar.

"Crackers bursting on Diwali was almost less than half in Bihar than it used to be in the past. I assume the same must have been the situation in Delhi too," Kumar said after inspecting Chhath arrangements during the morning Arghya.
Kumar stressed on creating mass awareness against the rise in pollution levels and said lighting up left overs after the reaping season in the fields of Punjab and Haryana robs off fertility of the soil and emphasised on mass campaign against the practise.

He also hit out at the NDA government over the one-day ban imposed on a Delhi-based news channel and a channel from Assam, saying it "reminds of the days of Emergency".

"The basis on which this ban has been effected reminds the days of Emergency... This cannot be accepted in a democracy," he said on the ban imposed.
He urged the Centre to immediately take back the decision (of ban), which has left a bad impact across the country.