AAP govt. says curbing air pollution teamwork, asks BJP, Cong. for suggestions

Delhi Environment Minister urges Centre to grant necessary permissions for artificial rain plan; Rai should first tell people about reply he got from AAP-ruled Punjab over farm fires, says BJP

Published - September 02, 2024 01:06 am IST -  New Delhi 

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai addressing reporters on the issue of air pollution in New Delhi on Sunday.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai addressing reporters on the issue of air pollution in New Delhi on Sunday. | Photo Credit: ANI

Air pollution can only be tackled through cooperation and not by opposing each other, said Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Sunday as he urged the Centre to grant necessary permissions to conduct artificial rain in winter when the air quality deteriorates in the national capital.

He also urged the BJP and the Congress to send suggestions to the September 5 meeting of Delhi government departments called to discuss a Winter Action Plan to tackle the problem. Mr. Rai’s remarks have come a day after both the BJP and Congress rejected the idea of artificial rain. 

On Friday, Mr. Rai had also written to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav requesting him to hold a meeting with experts from IIT Kanpur and all departments concerned to enable artificial rain as an emergency measure do disperse pollutants around Deepavali.

Mr. Rai told reporters that reducing pollution requires cooperation and his government has been continuously working to check the problem. He said last year, an expert from IIT Kanpur had proposed them to undertake cloud seeding, a weather modification technique used to induce artificial rain. “IIT Kanpur gave a presentation about this. Since Delhi is the Capital, many types of security permissions are needed to conduct it here,” he said.

“Last year, there was less time to take necessary permissions for it. This time, we thought of proceeding with it. We have requested the Union Environment Minister for his cooperation,” Mr. Rai said, adding that the Delhi government is ready to bear its cost.

‘Meeting denied’

Mr. Rai also claimed that for the past five years, he has been seeking time to meet the Union Minister over the issue. “The Union Minister does not even have time to reply to our letters. Still, we requested repeatedly for this as it is not a matter of our ego but about lives of people,” he said. 

Responding to it, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said Mr. Rai should first tell people what response he got from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-ruled Punjab over farm fires, which he said have been a major contributor to high pollution levels in winter months.

‘Skipping Punjab link’

“After that he may talk about artificial rain and take any decision he wants with the support of the Union Minister,” Mr. Kapoor said.

Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav said it was strange that the Delhi government does not anymore cite stubble burning in Punjab as reason for air pollution. He said when the Congress was in power in Punjab, the Delhi government used to blame farm fires for it.

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