Parliament's Pollution Debate: Can Parties Unite to Clear India's Air?

According to sources, the Union Environment Minister, Bhupendra Yadav, will respond to the debate at 5:00 pm tomorrow.

Earlier, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, had sought a parliamentary discussion to develop a systematic plan to address the problem of air pollution. Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju assured the LoP that the government is open to discussion.

The Congress MP asserted that the millions of children's futures are being destroyed due to lung diseases amid rising air pollution.

Addressing the Lok Sabha on December 12, Gandhi said, "Most of our major cities are living under a blanket of poisonous air. Millions of children are getting lung diseases. Their future is being destroyed. People are getting cancer. Older people are struggling to breathe. This is an interesting issue because I'm certain that there will be full agreement between the government and us on this issue. This is not an ideological issue. Everybody in this house would agree that air pollution, the damage it is doing to our people, is something that we would like to cooperate on."

Emphasising the need for collaborative action, Gandhi proposed a detailed discussion, after which the Prime Minister put in place a plan for each city.

"It's important that the government develops a plan for how to get rid of air pollution in our cities. We are more than happy to cooperate with the government to develop such a plan. There are not many issues these days that the government and the entire opposition can agree on. I think the government should discuss in parliament. We should try not to make it a discussion where we are abusing you, and you are abusing us," Gandhi added.

"I think we should make it a discussion where we are participating, we are showing the country that on this fundamental issue, there is agreement, and the best minds are going to be put into place to solve this issue. I think it would be good if we have a detailed discussion and then the Prime Minister puts in place a plan for each city, a methodical systematic plan on how, within the next five or ten years, maybe we cannot resolve the problem, but how we are going to address the problem and make life for our people easier," Gandhi said further.

In response to Gandhi's concerns, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju assured him that a discussion would be held to find a solution and invited suggestions from MPs across party lines.

"The government, from day one, had made our position very clear that on all important matters, the government is ready to discuss and also to find a solution, taking along the suggestions from all the members, including the principal opposition party led by Rahul Gandhi ji. Under the various laws and rules, we will see how we will take up this discussion," Rijiju said in the House.

Even on Tuesday, several Congress MPs moved adjournment motion notices in the Lok Sabha to demand the discussion.

This comes in the light of deteriorating air quality in the national capital, with the AQI level of 334 at 4 pm today, keeping it in the 'very poor' category.

- ANI