Minister's 5 Requests To Delhi As Air Pollution Worsens

As Delhi's air quality remained in the 'very poor' category on Wednesday, environment minister Gopal Rai appealed to people and made five requests to curb air pollution.

• I request the people of Delhi to report construction activities. Send pictures of construction projects on Green Delhi app. 
• Carpool while going to work.
• Work from home if possible to reduce vehicles on road.
• If you see coal or wood burning, report that.
• Use electric heaters for cold, not fire. 

Mr Rai said schools will be closed if and when the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) stage IV kicks in. 

On stubble burning in Punjab, Mr Rai said the responsibility does not lie just with the state government but the Centre has a role to play too.

"Central government gives government subsidies to control stubble burning but farmers want direct incentives," Mr Rai said. "Punjab's stubble burning could have come down by 50% if centre cooperated."

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said construction activities have been suspended across Delhi and that financial support will be provided to workers during that period. 

"Construction activities have been stopped across Delhi in view of pollution. I have directed Labour Minister, Sh Manish Sisodia, to give Rs 5000 pm as financial support to each construction worker during this period, when construction activities are not permitted," Mr Kejriwal tweeted.

The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi stood at 354 on Wednesday morning.