New Delhi : Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday highlighted the growing air pollution crisis in India's major cities, urging the government to initiate a detailed discussion in the parliament and develop a systematic plan to address it.
The congress leader asserted that the millions of children's futures are being destroyed as they are getting lung diseases. Addressing the Lok Sabha, 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 added that it would be good if everyone would have a detailed discussion, and then 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 on developing 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 have a discussion 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," he later said in LS.
Replying to Gandhi's concerns, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju assured that the government is open to discussion. He said, "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."
The debate comes amid growing public concern about deteriorating air quality across multiple cities, particularly in Delhi-NCR, as the Air Quality Index (AQI) readings have reached above 300, placing it in the 'very poor' category.