NEW DELHI: The issue of dangerous levels of air pollution was flagged by members in Lok Sabha. The government on Friday claimed that there has been nearly a 15 per cent decline in particulate matter 2.5 and 10 levels in Delhi in the last three years and that the number of days with ‘good air’ quality has also been on the rise.
Raising the issue Suresh Kodikunnil, Congress member from Kerala said that one out of every seven deaths in India is attributable to air pollution and asked if the government was aware of this.
Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the government was aware of the situation and pointed out that vehicle pollution needs to be contained for better results.
“Vehicle pollution has to be contained immediately… We are giving out clean fuel in Delhi from this year and entire country from the coming year. The peripheral highways have been built completely in 4 years. 60,000 vehicles now don’t have to come to Delhi to pass through,” he replied.
Speaking further the minister said that Badarpur thermal power plant has been closed and State coordination committees have been created.
All polluting industries now have online monitors and that emission level reports have to be submitted by them every 15 minutes.
“We are part of the global solution… In Delhi, the problem started from 2007 but was addressed only in 2014,” he added.
Manoj Tiwari, a lawmaker from Delhi said that in the city, Ayushmann Yojana had been stopped by Delhi government and hence had fallen in the health index.
Minister Ashwini Choubey said that on September 23, Ayushman Bharat was implemented and that since then around 50 crore people have benefited from it.