Key Points
- Union Minister Nitin Gadkari avoids visiting Delhi due to its severe pollution.
- Pollution negatively affects Gadkari’s health, causing infections and discomfort.
- Gadkari supports the use of alternative fuels to reduce fossil fuel imports and fight pollution.
- Delhi’s air quality slightly improved, with the AQI in the “moderate” range.
- Civil society warns about Delhi’s pollution crisis, calling it a public health emergency.
Looma News
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, known for his straightforward views, explained that he doesn’t like to visit Delhi because of the city’s dangerous air pollution, which he says directly harms his health. Speaking at an event in Delhi on Tuesday, Gadkari, a BJP leader and MP from Nagpur, pointed out that the air quality in the city is a major reason for him to avoid staying there.
“Every time I come to Delhi, I wonder if I should even go,” Gadkari said in Hindi. “The pollution is just terrible.” He added that the pollution makes him sick and causes infections. “I don’t like being here. The pollution gives me infections. I had to do pranayama [yoga breathing exercises] for two hours before coming here,” he explained.
As the Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Gadkari also addressed the larger issue of pollution in India. He suggested that using alternative energy sources could help the country reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. “We can cut down on fossil fuel imports by promoting alternative fuels,” he said, noting that India spends about Rs 22 lakh crore each year on importing fossil fuels.
Gadkari’s comments came as Delhi’s air quality showed a slight improvement. The Air Quality Index (AQI) dropped to 165 on Thursday from 178 the day before, moving it into the “moderate” range. As a result, the Centre’s air quality panel eased some restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), reducing measures to Stage 2, which bans coal and firewood use in industries.
However, civil society groups continue to sound the alarm about Delhi’s pollution crisis. A petition was submitted to Parliament on Thursday, urging lawmakers to take action against what activists call an “unprecedented environmental and public health disaster.” The petition pointed to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), showing that Delhi’s AQI has been in the “poor” or “very poor” range since September, with winter months seeing dangerously high levels between 1,500 and 2,000.
Activists also highlighted the serious health risks linked to pollution, which is responsible for 1.7 million deaths every year in India. Pollution is also said to shorten life expectancy by an average of 3.57 years across the country, and by as much as 12 years in Delhi.
