As Delhi’s air quality continues to deteriorate, Delhi Minister Gopal Rai has called on Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav to take active measures to combat the escalating problem. Rai stressed that the issue of air pollution extends beyond Delhi and affects the entire North India region.
Rai’s statement comes in response to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pointing fingers at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the air pollution crisis in Delhi. However, Rai pointed out that Kejriwal is not responsible for the deteriorating air quality in neighboring states such as Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
“Pollution is increasing all around Delhi and surrounding areas, so I request that the Union Environment Minister should be active. BJP has a government in UP and Haryana; they should be active,” said Mr. Rai during a press conference.
Citing a study by the independent think tank Centre for Science and Environment, Rai highlighted that 69 percent of the air pollution in Delhi originates from neighboring states. While the Delhi government has been taking various measures to address the issue, Rai expressed concerns about the lack of clarity regarding the actions taken by the environment ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
“The effect of the Delhi government’s steps is visible. If we talk about pollution throughout the year, in 2015, there were only 109 days when the air quality was good. This year, it has been good for more than 200 days,” Mr. Rai added.
The current Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi, as reported by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), stands at 346 as of 8 am today. Levels of the most hazardous PM2.5 particles, which can enter the bloodstream due to their tiny size, were nearly 35 times higher than the daily maximum permissible limit recommended by the World Health Organization, according to monitoring firm IQAir.
Rai cautioned that the next 15 days are crucial for the entire Delhi-NCR region and emphasized the need for all state governments to remain vigilant and collaborate to combat air pollution effectively.
Furthermore, he revealed that the government had received feedback indicating that air pollution monitoring teams established by relevant departments were not functioning effectively on the ground. In response, the government has issued directives to all concerned departments to establish mechanisms for monitoring the performance of these teams.
Sources By Agencies
