UP minister suggests doing 'Yagya' as Delhi pollution level rises

Even as a thick blanket of smog engulfed several parts of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, a UP minister came up with a bizarre way to tackle pollution. Uttar Pradesh Minister Sunil Bharala said that criticism of stubble burning is not right. He added that governments should instead perform Yagya to please Lord Indra. "Lord Indra, who is the God of rain, will set things right," he said while speaking to news agency ANI. 

READ: Sanjay Raut: Talks with BJP will only be on Chief Minister's post

READ: NCP says Sharad Pawar will not be CM, amid Sena-BJP tussle

The AQI recorded in Dhirpur was 509, while Delhi University saw a reading of 591. The Chandni Chowk area recorded an AQI of 432 while in Lodhi road it was 537. Delhi's satellite cities of Noida and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh also saw their air quality deteriorate beyond the hazardous 600 marks. Visibility dropped significantly in the national capital as pollutants hovered in the atmosphere. Notably, for the first time in this season, the Air Quality Index (AQI) docked as high as 625 at 10 am despite light drizzles in the early hours.

READ: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath addresses gathering at Deepotsav

Meanwhile, airline services were hit hard with as many as 32 flights being diverted from the Delhi airport. Owing to the low visibility, as Delhi has been covered in a blanket of smog, flight operations were severely affected on Sunday. Authorities released an official statement which said, CAT-II pilots are able to operate, however, flight operations were affected in Delhi. 

READ: Air Quality Index deteriorates in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow