'Bhayankar pollution hai': Minister Nitin Gadkari says he is sceptical about visiting Delhi

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said he doesn't feel like visiting the national capital due to increased pollution levels in Delhi. He confessed that he often catches infection here.

At an event, Gadkari said when he visits Delhi, he gets some infection due to high pollution in Delhi-NCR area. "Har baar Delhi me aata hua, aisa lagta hain ki (Delhi) jaana chahiye ki nahi. Itna bhayankar pollution hai (Every time, while coming to Delhi, I think whether I should go or not because pollution levels are so high,” he said.Gadkari suggested that the best way to reduce pollution is to bring down the consumption of fossil fuels. 

Gadkari noted that India imports fossil fuels worth Rs 22 lakh crore, which is challenging from the point of view of the economy, environment and ecology. "We can reduce import of fossil fuels by encouraging alternative fuels," he said.

In November, Delhi and its surrounding areas experienced a thick blanket of smog, resulting in the Air Quality Index reaching very severe levels just a few days after the Diwali festival. After almost a month, on Monday, Delhi's Air Quality Index showed improvement but still remained in the "poor" category. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported a reduced AQI of 273 at 8 am on Monday. This marks the second consecutive day that the national capital's air quality has been classified as "poor", an improvement from the "very poor" levels recorded on Saturday when the AQI was 377. On Sunday evening at 4 pm, the AQI was 285 according to CPCB data. 

When the Air Quality Index (AQI) is within the range of 0-50, it is classified as 'good'. A rating of 51-100 is deemed as 'satisfactory', while 101-200 is labeled as 'moderate'. The range of 201-300 signifies 'poor' air quality, 301-400 is 'very poor', and 401-500 is classified as 'severe'. Any reading above 500 is designated as a 'severe-plus emergency'. 

The implementation of Stage-IV restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has been affirmed by the Supreme Court. Stringent measures against pollution are being enforced. In response to worsening air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had earlier directed all schools in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) to embrace a hybrid learning approach for students up to grade 12. This approach combines in-person and online teaching methods.