New Delhi:
Reacting to ‘World Air Quality Report’ that states Delhi tops the list of the most polluted city in the world, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai claimed that the AAP government’s efforts have helped to reduce pollution by up to 15 per cent in the national capital.
Rai listed out the multiple efforts that the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government had taken to tackle air pollution and in making Delhi a more ‘environment-friendly’ city. He said that the Delhi government, under the leadership of CM Arvind Kejriwal, has consistently shown its administrative will to reduce air pollution in the city, due to which the pollution has reduced by 15%.
Talking about the report, he said, “Nine cities in the top 10 include cities from Uttar Pradesh. Delhi used to be polluted, but the condition is slowly improving, with reports stating that pollution has seen a fall of 15%. The reason for this reduction is the consistent and diligent efforts of the Arvind Kejriwal government.”
Rai said that under the leadership of the Arvind Kejriwal, the city has seen reduced pollution and an increased green belt. He said, “The Delhi government has been working to bring about a fuel change policy, tree transplantation policy, a progressive Electric Vehicle policy, installing smog guns in worse-affected areas. The Delhi government had, in collaboration with the PUSA Institute, made bio decomposers to eliminate stubble burning, worked on war-footing to fight dust pollution, worked on a Green Delhi app to help identify the problem areas in the city. We have launched a war room. Delhi is the first in the country to shut down its power thermal plants.”
He said that given the manifold steps of the Kejriwal government, it was now up to the Central government to do its bit. He said that the intention of the Central government was clear, which had done nothing to shut down polluting thermal power plants that are still functional in neighboring states; the Central government had taken no step to shut down brick kilns, and the result is for all to see.
“The Central Government had allowed the lapse of the Commission for Air Quality Management, and until the Central Government gets serious about combating pollution, nothing could be done…The Delhi government had submitted a petition to the Commission for Air Quality Management to address stubble burning, but now with the Commission having lapsed, the issue remains unaddressed. Only if governments begin to work now to address air pollution, can we aim for a better future,” Rai concluded.
