Delhi’s Gopal Rai Urges Meeting on Air Pollution Solutions
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has reached out to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, requesting a meeting to address the rising air pollution in Delhi. This marks Rai’s third letter on the issue, emphasizing the need for cloud seeding as a potential solution. The Delhi Government has already implemented a Winter Action Plan and is seeking immediate relief measures.
Rai highlighted the severe air quality issues, particularly around Diwali, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) surpassing 350. He stressed the urgency of considering cloud seeding, a method to induce rain and reduce pollution, which requires central government clearances. The situation is expected to worsen after November 1.
Rai also pointed out the impact of northwesterly winds, which could increase pollution due to stubble burning in neighboring states like Haryana and Punjab. He has alerted all departments and urged the advancement of research on artificial rain by IIT Kanpur. Additionally, Rai has requested neighboring states to halt the entry of diesel vehicles into Delhi to mitigate pollution.
In 2022, Punjab recorded 3,559 stubble burning incidents, while this year, the number is 1,400. Rai has written to the Transport Ministers of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan to stop diesel buses from entering Delhi until conditions improve.
Doubts Revealed
Gopal Rai -: Gopal Rai is the Environment Minister of Delhi, which means he is responsible for taking care of the environment in the city. He works on issues like air pollution and tries to find solutions to make the air cleaner.
Union Environment Minister -: The Union Environment Minister is a person in the central government of India who is responsible for environmental issues across the whole country. In this case, it is Bhupender Yadav.
Cloud seeding -: Cloud seeding is a way to make it rain by adding special chemicals to clouds. This can help clear the air by washing away pollution.
AQI -: AQI stands for Air Quality Index. It is a number that shows how clean or polluted the air is. A higher number means the air is more polluted.
Northwesterly winds -: Northwesterly winds are winds that come from the northwest direction. In Delhi, these winds can bring pollution from other areas, making the air quality worse.
Stubble burning -: Stubble burning is when farmers burn the leftover parts of crops in their fields after harvesting. This creates a lot of smoke and pollution, which can affect the air quality in nearby areas like Delhi.
Diesel vehicles -: Diesel vehicles are cars, trucks, or buses that run on diesel fuel. They can produce more pollution compared to vehicles that run on petrol or electricity.