Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari stated that the transport sector contributes around 40% to emissions as he expressed his concerns related to Delhi’s pollution levels, news agency ANI reported. While addressing the launch of the book ‘My Idea of Nation First-Redefining Unalloyed Nationalism’ by Uday Mahurkar, Gadkari mentioned that he gets infections after staying in Delhi for two days due to the city’s poor air quality.
“If there is any true nationalism today, it is in lessening the imports and increasing exports. I stay in Delhi for just two days and ends up getting infections. Why is Delhi enduring so much from pollution?” he questioned. “I am the Transport Minister, and the 40% of the pollution is produced by us,” Gadkari added further.
Push for alternative fuels and imports
Gadkari also raised concern related to India’s spending on fossil fuel imports and appealed for a shift towards substitutes and biofuels. “We are spending Rs 22 lakh crore on importing fossil fuels. What kind of nationalism is this? By paying so much money, we are polluting our own country. Can’t we become independent in biofuels and alternative fuels?” he said, according to ANI.
Delhi AQI remains in ‘very poor’ category
As the air quality continues to deteriorate, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has imposed actions under GRAP Stage-IV in Delhi-NCR. The national capital’s overall AQI was 336 on Wednesday morning, improving to the ‘very poor” category from 415 (severe) on Tuesday, according to the data from the CPCB.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government announced that the government will continue its “No PUC, No Fuel” initiative even after the GRAP-IV restrictions are removed, as per a report by IANS. Terming the movement of a polluting vehicle a “crime”, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa stated, “We want all city vehicles to operate after proper pollution checks as vehicular emission is the biggest donor of pollution.” He also informed that 12 PUCC (Pollution Under Control Certificate) centres were suspended and blacklisted after inspections. The minister also warned that “no leniency would be shown towards those who are indulging in wrongdoing related to PUCC,” IANS reported.