Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday called for an urgent and structured debate in the Lok Sabha on India’s worsening air pollution. He describes it as a national public health emergency that demands cooperation across political lines. The government further indicated that it’s open to taking up the issue for discussion.
Speaking in the House, Gandhi said that pollution is one of the few issues on which both sides could find common ground. “This is not an ideological issue. Everybody in this house would agree that air pollution, the damage it is doing to our people, is something that we would like to cooperate on,” Gandhi said.
“It’s important that the government develops a plan for how to get rid of air pollution in our cities. We are more than happy to cooperate with the government on developing such a plan,” he said.
He urged members to avoid turning the debate into a blame game, noting, “We should try not to make it a discussion where we are abusing you and you are abusing us. I think we should make it a discussion where we are participating, we are showing the country that on this fundamental issue”.
Call for a long-term, city-wise plan
Gandhi also suggested that the Prime Minister should eventually present a city-wise, long-term strategy to address pollution over the next decade. “Within the next five or ten years, maybe we cannot resolve the problem, but how we are going to address the problem and make life for our people easier,” he said.
Highlighting the severity of the crisis, he pointed out that “most of our major cities are living under a blanket of poisonous air with millions of children developing lung diseases and elderly citizens struggling to breathe”.
Government signals willingness for discussion
Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s proposal, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was prepared to hold a discussion on the issue and would soon present a structured plan for it.
“The issue raised by Rahul Gandhi was also brought to notice in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC). From Day 1, the government has made it clear that it is ready to discuss all important matters and find solutions, taking along suggestions from the Opposition,” Rijiju said.
Adding to it he mentioned that, “We will see how we can take up this discussion. We will come back and let us see how we can structure this discussion. We are ready to take up this matter”.
Delhi chokes under ‘very poor’ air quality
The national capital woke up to a thick layer of toxic smog on Friday morning, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) touching 329 at 7 am – a level classified as “very poor” by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Even though air quality had seen slight improvement in recent weeks, much of the city remained covered in heavy, hazardous smog.