Delhi Covid-19 situation is because of pollution, should come under control in 7-10 days: Arvind Kejriwal

A day after Delhi reported 7,053 new cases and 104 Covid deaths, the highest so far, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Friday said the situation in the national capital should come under control in seven to 10 days and that his government is taking several steps in this regard next week.

The total number of Covid-19 infections has crossed 4.67 lakh in Delhi and the death toll has risen to 7,332. On Wednesday, the city had recorded its highest single-day spike of 8,593 cases.

However, he did not elaborate on the options being considered by the government to control the ongoing spike in cases and recorded deaths. The CM also said that pollution is a contributing factor in the spike in the coronavirus disease cases.

Senior government officials said the government has asked the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) – which is chaired by lieutenant governor Anil Baijal – to convene a meeting by Tuesday to discuss the course of action.

The Aam Aadmi Party chief said IARI’s anti-stubble solution has been able to decompose 70 to 95 per cent crop residue in 24 villages in the capital. He cited a report to support his claim.

“We will submit the assessment report to the Centre’s air quality commission and request it to implement Pusa biodecomposer in all states,” Kejriwal said.

As per a bulletin issued by the city health department, the positivity rate in Delhi has increased to 11.71 per cent amid the festive season and rising pollution.