Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that the Centre has ignored numerous letters from the Delhi government for appropriating the use of artificial rain to deal with the heightening air pollution problem in Delhi and the surrounding areas.
While addressing the press briefing on Tuesday, Rai said that people had lost faith in Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take necessary action.
Delhi’s AQI has touched the dangerous mark that has put the capital into fourth-stage, also called the Graded Action Plan, to curb pollution. However, the current situation is pathetic, even with proper regulation of private automobiles and trucks.
Rai further said that there is no other way out of the pollution problem, and hence, the government has sought suggestions from relevant experts to look at rain-making, one of which is called cloud seeding. It is considered to assist in the removal of suspended particulate matter or in ending pollutants that occur during smog.
Rai went further to say that the Union Environment Minister has not been courteous in responding to several letters that the Delhi government has written to him, with the first one being on August 30 requesting for artificial rain. Another letter was written on October 10, followed by another one on October 23; still, there has been no reply. “It is sad that while the situation prevails, there is no communication from the central government,” Rai said.
Rai also complained about the Centre’s slow response to the issue and called on PM Modi to intervene directly. He said that if the Union government slept over the matter, then the Delhi environment minister should surrender. The Delhi government keeps demanding immediate action as people face difficulties in even breathing because of the deteriorating air quality.
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