Delhi’s Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, has summoned a crucial pollution review meeting with the officers of the Environment Department at the Delhi Secretariat on Monday. The move follows the persistently alarming Air Quality Index (AQI) in several areas of Delhi-NCR, ranging from ‘severe’ to ‘severe plus’ for the past several days.
Expressing concern over the post-Diwali scenario, Minister Rai highlighted the need to address the worsening air quality. The review meeting, scheduled for 12 pm on Monday, will focus on the comprehensive status of different enforcement measures implemented to combat pollution.
Despite the Delhi government’s ban on firecrackers and the ‘Diya Jalao, Patakhe nahi’ campaign, Delhi woke up to a thick layer of smog on Monday. Videos and pictures from various parts of the city showed reduced visibility, complicating the situation for residents.
Congress MP Manish Tewari and Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale raised concerns on social media about firecrackers being burst, with Tewari questioning the effectiveness of the Supreme Court’s ban. In response to the escalating pollution crisis, the AAP government recently imposed a complete ban on firecrackers and considered ‘artificial rain’ as a solution.
The data on pollution in the past week has revealed a grave situation, with PM 2.5 concentrations exceeding 20 times the World Health Organization’s limit. The government has taken stringent measures, including the closure of primary classes and restrictions on truck entry.