Rahul Gandhi on Friday raised the issue of air pollution in India’s major cities and sought to discuss it in the Lok Sabha. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government is ready to discuss the issue and said the government will see how the discussion is handled.
Gandhi raised the issue during the zero hour and said that the discussion on the issue can be arranged in an interesting way where the opposition and the government do not trade abuses with each other but find a solution to the problem.
On Friday, Delhi continued to suffocate under a thick blanket of smog, with the air quality index (AQI) settling at 332, in the “very poor” category. Air quality was “very poor” at 30 stations, while one station, Jahangirpuri, which recorded an AQI of 405, was “severe”.
What Rahul Gandhi said
Raising the issue of air pollution, Rahul Gandhi said that both the opposition and the exchequer can show the country that they can work together on something that is essential.
“This is not an ideological issue. Everyone in this House would agree that air pollution, the damage it does to our people, is something we would like to work on,” Gandhi said.
Responding to this, Rijiju said that the government has made its stand very clear from day one that it is ready to discuss and also find a solution, taking suggestions from all members, including the main opposition party led by Rahul Gandhi.
Not only Delhi, but also Mumbai, Kolkata and other cities are struggling with the problem of unhealthy air that followed with the onset of winter across India. Earlier this month, Maximus City’s air quality index reached 111 – prompting authorities to impose GRAP-4 restrictions.
Delhi AQI to remain ‘very poor’
Air quality in Delhi is likely to remain “very poor” till Saturday. The outlook for the next six days also says the air is likely to remain in the very poor zone according to the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS).
