Delhi seeks Centre’s nod for artificial rain against pollution

A boy looks for reusable waste at the Ghazipur landfill, Delhi. Pic/PTI

Amid alarmingly high pollution levels in Delhi, Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday urged the Centre to convene an emergency meeting to tackle the issue and said it is the moral responsibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the matter.

The air quality in the national capital has remained in the "hazardous" category since Sunday, with AQI readings consistently above 450. Rai said the Centre has not acted on the Delhi government's repeated requests to allow artificial rain in the national capital and he will again write to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.

"Delhi is under GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) Stage IV restrictions, and we are taking every possible step to reduce vehicular and industrial pollution. Restrictions have been imposed on private vehicles and trucks, aiming to curb the number of vehicles entering the city.

"We are consulting specialists to explore measures to reduce the smog. One of the solutions under consideration is artificial rain, which can help settle pollutants and clear the air," Rai said. The Union environment minister has not responded to repeated requests from the Delhi government to call an emergency meeting over the dire pollution situation in the city and allowing artificial rain, he said.

Work-from-home, odd-even measures soon

A decision on implementing work-from-home measures and the odd-even scheme will be taken soon to tackle the city's worsening air quality, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Tuesday.

"People, including children and senior citizens, are struggling to breathe and we deeply regret this situation," he said. On the possibility of implementing work-from-home measures, Rai stated, "We will take a decision on this soon." The minister added that the government has already imposed significant restrictions on vehicles under GRAP-IV.

"We are analysing the impact of these measures. If the analysis shows a positive outcome, we will take further decisions accordingly," he said. Calling the current situation a medical emergency, Rai emphasised the need for collective action. "This is a time of medical emergency, and we all need to work together to address the situation."

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