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Nitin Gadkari raises alarm over Delhi pollution, says he 'thinks of leaving' as soon as he arrives
Nitin Gadkari also urged the pushing of anti-pollution measures like alternative fuels and large-scale plantation drives.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday highlighted the gravity of the pollution problem in Delhi-NCR, saying he "starts thinking about leaving" after he visits the national capital.
He also urged the pushing of anti-pollution measures like alternative fuels and large-scale plantation drives.
"I stay in Delhi for two or three days only, and when I arrive, I start thinking about when I will leave. I book my return tickets first. You should take this issue seriously," the road transport and highways minister was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
His remarks came during a plantation drive, 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0', at Faridabad-Noida International Airport Road in Gautam Buddha Nagar.
The Union Minister also raised alarm over the reduced life expectancy of common people in the national capital, owing the development to increased pollution levels.
Gadkari also emphasised promoting alternative fuels like ethanol and implementing large-scale plantation drives are key strategies to combat pollution, adding that the government was pursuing both.
He also said that around 80 lakh tonnes of waste was repurposed for road construction, in a move to bolster environment sustainability. "We are also prioritising water conservation by adopting measures like rainwater harvesting on our highways," he added.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in a statement said it was working to develop green corridors by planting bamboo, dense foliage, and installing vertical gardens.
The national capital sees a rise in pollution levels every year, with a big peak during the winters. While the Air Quality Index (AQI) has been in the 'satisfactory' category over the past few days owing to monsoons, it climbs to as high as over 450 in months following November, due to smog and increased pollution levels.
The CPCB classifies AQI between 0-50 as “good”, between 51 and 100 as “satisfactory”, between 101 and 200 as “moderate”, between 201 and 300 as “poor”, between 301 and 400 as “very poor”, and over 400 as “severe”.
