Steps taken by states to control stubble burning "are far from satisfactory", Union minister Harsh Vardhan said Thursday as environment ministers of four states around Delhi, including Haryana and Punjab, where the practice is rampant, skipped a crucial meet to discuss measures to stop air pollution levels from deteriorating further.
With Delhi's air quality plummeting to "very poor" category, Vardhan stressed the need for an "aggressive" plan to combat air pollution in Delhi.
He underlined that despite a decrease in incidents of stubble burning by 30 per cent from the previous year, more needs to be done.
Officials from four states Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and Delhi's Environment Minister Imran Hussain took part in the meet, where Vardhan asked the Delhi government to ensure 100 per cent stoppage of open burning of domestic and industrial wastes.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal questioned in a tweet the absence of environment ministers of the neighbouring states. "Why didn't ministers from other states attend? Its a collective problem and I urge everyone to please work together. Only then can we find a soln (sic)."
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content