Gopal Rai urges Centre to form joint plan to tackle air pollution in Delhi-NCR

New Delhi: Delhi minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday wrote to Union Environment minister Bhupender Yadav, urging him to immediately call a meeting of the environment ministers of NCR states and experts to form a joint plan to fight air pollution.

Rai, the environment minister of Delhi, said the number of good and moderate air quality days in the city has increased and poor air quality days reduced in the last four years on account of the anti-air pollution steps taken by the Arvind Kejriwal government.

Citing a report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), he said that 31 per cent of the air pollution in Delhi comes from local sources and the rest is from outside.

”It is clear that all NCR states will have to work together to reduce air pollution in Delhi,” Rai said.

”I had on November 7, November 11 and December 3 urged you to call a meeting of NCR states. Once again, I request you to immediately convene a meeting of environment ministers of NCR states and experts to form a joint plan to reduce air pollution,” he said.