Stubble burning: Kejriwal wants schoolchildren to write letters to 'Capt uncle, Khattar uncle'

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday told schoolchildren in the city that smoke from stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana was causing air pollution here and asked them to write letters to chief ministers of the two states urging them to control it.

He distributed masks to the children as part of the government's initiative to protect them from pollution and told them about stubble burning and his government's odd-even road rationing scheme.

The share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution stood at 46 per cent on Friday, the highest so far, according to the Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality monitor SAFAR.

Smoke emanating from stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana causes pollution in Delhi, he said.

"Please write letters to Captain uncle and Khattar uncle and say, 'Please think about our health and use machines for treating stubble'," he told the children.

The Delhi government has procured 50 lakh N95 masks for distribution among children in private and government schools.

Kejriwal urged Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh to think about the health of children and take steps to stop stubble burning.

The AAP leader also urged students to help in stopping garbage burning in the national capital.

"We have to stop garbage burning in Delhi. If you see anyone doing so, request them to not do it. If they do not listen, there is a WhatsApp number to report it," he said.

He also lauded children for not bursting crackers during Diwali.

"The Delhi government has taken a lot of steps to curb pollution and it reduced by almost 25 per cent between March and October 10.

"You have also contributed and we all need to work together to reduce it further," Kejriwal said.

The city government had organised a four-day laser show at Connaught Place to encourage people to celebrate a firecracker-free Diwali.

Kejriwal asked students to visit the laser show next year too.

While explaining to children the odd-even scheme, he said it will be implemented from November 4 and they should tell their parents that the rules should be followed during that time.

"We do not want anyone to be fined. Please follow the rules," the Delhi chief minister said.

Later, in a tweet, he hit out at the state governments of Punjab and Haryana over stubble burning.

"The government of Khattar and Captain is forcing its farmers to indulge in stubble burning that is contribution towards pollution in Delhi," he said.

Yesterday, people expressed their anguish against the state governments by protesting outside Punjab and Haryana bhawans, Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.