NEW DELHI: Three days after skipping a meet on pollution caused an uproar, Union Environment Secretary CK Mishra Monday held a high-level meet and said the Central Pollution Control Board will take action against negligent officers. The meeting was attended by the chief secretaries of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh owing to heavy pollution in these states.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministry of Power and Ministry of Agriculture were also called for the meeting. This comes after lawmakers and bureaucrats skipped the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Urban Development meeting on November 15 over air pollution in the national capital leading to the meeting being cancelled.
According to sources, prominent among those who were missing were vice chairman of the Delhi Development Authority, commissioners of three municipal corporations of Delhi and secretary, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry. Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha is scheduled to hold discussions on state of pollution Tuesday. “I am grateful to the Hon’ble Speaker for allowing a debate on air pollution in Parliament under Rule 193. Everybody watch the debate and pray that PM Modi announces a major new initiative.
The Centre may study my private member bill on the 1981 Air Act,” said Assam MP Gaurav Gogoi. The discussion comes after a standing committee meeting called to discuss air pollution in Delhi saw lukewarm response from Parliament members with only four of 28 members turning up for the meet. In last 20 days, Delhi and NCR has witnessed hazardous levels of pollution with the Delhi and Central governments pressing in emergency measures to shut schools and putting a ban on all construction activities.