Air pollution: Kejriwal, Khattar say they will work together to tackle smog

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Chandigarh to discuss ways to check stubble burning among other pollution-related issues.

Following the meeting, both the chief ministers addressed a joint press conference and said Delhi and Haryana will work together to check the menace of smog.

"We had a very positive discussion, we will take all steps possible to tackle the situation," Arvind Kejriwal said with Manohar Khattar by his side.

Khattar called air pollution a "common concern" and said that Haryana will work towards ensuring that Delhi has better air quality levels. "Satellite data shows that stubble burning has significantly reduced in Haryana," Khattar said.

Kejriwal has been seeking a meeting with his counterparts from Haryana and Punjab over the last few days to find a solution to stubble burning in the neighbouring states.

"Myself, Delhi environment minister and environment secretary (are) on our way to Haryana to discuss issues related to pollution with the Hon'ble CM of Haryana and his team. Look forward to a fruitful discussion," the Delhi Chief Minister tweeted.

Kejriwal said Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had called him and told him that the latter was in Delhi till Tuesday, but cannot meet him in Delhi, citing "he (Khattar) was very busy".

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, with whom Kejriwal had sought an appointment as he was anyway coming to Chandigarh to meet the Haryana CM, has refused the request for a meeting.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, the Delhi government moved a fresh petition in the National Green Tribunal (NGT), this time also seeking the tribunal's direction to neighbouring states of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh to implement the odd-even car rationing scheme.

OneIndia News