New Delhi, October 19 (IANS). Former Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai expressed deep concern over the increasing pollution in the national capital. He said that the increasing level of pollution is having a negative impact on people’s health and the government will have to take immediate action.
Gopal Rai said that the pollution level is increasing rapidly. Delhi’s average air quality index (AQI) has reached 282 and in 12 areas like Anand Vihar, the AQI has crossed 400 and reached the ‘severe’ category.
While talking to IANS, he said that the situation may worsen after Diwali, but no activeness is visible from the BJP government.
Rai said that the Delhi government released the Winter Action Plan after 15 days, which was prepared in haste. He alleged that hotspots are a major cause of pollution, but no concrete plan was made for it. The government should immediately take action on dust pollution and vehicle pollution. It is necessary to make a special action plan for hotspots.
On the issue of artificial rain, the AAP leader said that for the last two years we were making efforts for cloud seeding. IIT Kanpur had prepared a pilot project for this, but unfortunately the BJP government did not allow it. If permission had been granted and its trial had been conducted in Delhi, we could have told about its results with confidence today. He said that cloud seeding was not approved due to political animosity. Its actual effect will be known only after experiment.
Gopal Rai said that gradually the shortcomings of every department of Delhi government are coming to light. I have been watching the mentality of the BJP government for the last eight months. Problems will not be solved by mere rhetoric. Everyone will have to work together. Despite having a four-engine government in Delhi, if fire tenders do not reach on time after a fire in a flat, then it is a serious issue.
–IANS
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