Priyanka urges everyone to set aside politics and clear Delhi’s ‘filthy smog’
Says Centre and state must act at once, and that ‘we will all support and cooperate with whatever actions they choose to take to mitigate this awful situation’
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has urged everyone to get together “regardless of [their] political compulsions” and do something about the air pollution in Delhi.
She tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta in a post on X, and urged them to take immediate steps to clear the “filthy smog” the people of Delhi are breathing.
‘Shocking’ return to Delhi air
The Congress general secretary said it was “truly shocking” for her to return to the Delhi air from Wayanad and then from Bachwara in Bihar. The pollution enveloping the national capital was like a grey shroud thrown over it, she wrote in the post.
“It’s really about time all of us get together regardless of our political compulsions and do something about it. The central and state governments need to act immediately, we will all support and cooperate with whatever actions they choose to take to mitigate this awful situation,” she said.
Also read: Why cloud-seeding trial to produce rain in Delhi was bound to fail
Priyanka said year after year, the citizens of Delhi are subjected to this toxicity with no recourse.
“Those who suffer from respiratory issues, children who commute to school every day and senior citizens especially, need urgent intervention to clear the filthy smog we are all breathing,” the Congress leader said.
Air quality remains ‘very poor’
Delhi’s air quality remained “very poor” on Sunday (November 2) as slow wind speed reduced dispersion of pollutants over the city, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Its Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 386 in the morning, a considerable rise from 303 on Saturday, CPCB data showed.
The Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) for Delhi said wind speed dropped below 8 kmph from the northwest direction during the evening and night, reducing the dispersion of pollutants.
Also read: Every Diwali, Delhi chokes: Why nothing changes | Talking Sense With Srini
Seventeen monitoring stations recorded “severe” air quality with readings above 400. Wazirpur recorded the highest AQI at 439. Twenty other stations reported “very poor” air quality with readings above 300, the CPCB’s Sameer app showed.
An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, 51 to 100 “satisfactory”, 101 to 200 “moderate”, 201 to 300 “poor”, 301 to 400 “very poor”, and 401 to 500 “severe”.
(With agency inputs)