Delhi Govt announces 'Diya Jalao, Patakhe nahi' campaign after AQI drops in national capital

New Delhi: The Delhi government on Friday announced the 'Diya Jalao, Patakhe nahi' campaign in the city amid concerns of rising pollution again after the Diwali festival.

Speaking to ANI, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said, "Today, due to the rain and wind, pollution has reduced significantly. People of nearby cities are requested to light the lamps and distribute sweets during Diwali, but do not burst firecrackers. We want the pollution level to remain good even on the next day of Diwali. The campaign of 'Diya Jalao, Patakhe nahi' is starting from today."

"We all should take responsibility for our own lives. One should not do work that increases pollution," he added.

Meanwhile, Gopal Rai today announced that the state government would delay the proposed implementation of the odd-even car-rationing scheme in the city.

"An improvement is seen in the pollution level. The AQI which was 450+ has now reached around 300. The decision to implement odd-even from November 13 to 20 has been postponed. The situation would be analyzed again after Diwali," said the Delhi Environment Minister.

The announcement comes after the Supreme Court, earlier in the day, directed the Delhi government to make a definitive decision on the implementation of the Odd-Even Scheme. The court, however, refrained from taking a decision itself, leaving the matter in the hands of the state government.

The overall air quality in Delhi at 7 am today was 407, according to data by the government's air-quality monitoring agency, SAFAR.

The Delhi government is making efforts to execute anti-pollution measures, and it is also considering the idea of 'artificial rain' to curtail the pollution issue. Several ministers of the Aam Admi Party were also seen on the ground on Thursday night inspecting the execution of anti-pollution initiatives.

The AAP government has decided to field Delhi ministers to ensure the implementation of anti-pollution measures.
Currently, Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has been implemented in the national capital after the city's air quality plummeted to the 'severe plus' category. (ANI)