Kejriwal under fire over reported Dubai trip amid pollution crisis

November 10, 2018 18:14

As pollution in New Delhi hit "severe" on the air quality scale on Saturday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal came under fire following reports he had left the city for an overseas family trip.

For a second year the chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, has likened Delhi to a "gas chamber" because of the pollution.

Seasonal burning of crop stubble and smoke from fireworks let off to celebrate Diwali on Wednesday have aggravated already high smog levels in the past few days from vehicle emissions, industrial gases and construction work.

Local television news channels said Kejriwal had left the country on a private family trip to Dubai, triggering a backlash on social media and finger-pointing on Twitter by the Delhi arm of the BJP.

"Arvind Kejriwal cares about his family so much that he urgently booked tickets and ran away to Dubai with them as soon as Delhi started choking with pollution," said one Twitter user.

A member Mr Kejriwal's party, said that the chief minister was not in the city. He declined to elaborate or be identified because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

Environmental activists say residents need to be more vocal about holding political leaders to account over the pollution.

"Public pressure has to be much sharper and demand compliance. Directions, policies have been issued but stringent implementation is needed," said Anumita Roychowdhury, an executive director at the Centre for Science and Environment, a think-tank.

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