Kejriwal-Amarinder spar on Twitter as toxic air chokes Delhi, NCR

NEW DELHI: Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal sparred on Twitter over increasing pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, due to, among other things, burning of crop stubble in Haryana and Punjab.

Singh firmly conveyed there's nothing he can do to ease the situation and said a solution has to come from the Centre. Kejriwal asked if they can just talk. And Singh rebuffed him, reiterating that Punjab is "helpless".

Delhi-NCR has been battling horrific smog since Tuesday. The smog is being caused not just by stubble burning, but also by toxic and excessive emissions from vehicles and rampant construction. However, stubble burning and a drop in temperatures have exacerbated the pollution to near deadly levels.

On Wednesday, Kejriwal tweeted saying he was trying to make appointments with the chief ministers of Punjab and Haryana for meetings to discuss a solution to the problem.


Kejriwal's tweet prompted Singh to snap back.

"Centre alone can solve the problem given its national implications," Singh tweeted.