Air pollution in North India a national emergency: Rahul Gandhi

Gandhi shared a video on X in which he is discussing the air pollution issue with environmentalist Vimlendu Jha at the India Gate.

New Delhi: Describing air pollution in north India as a "national emergency", Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday urged fellow MPs to come together to discuss ways to end the crisis during the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament.

He said what the country needs is a "collective national response" and "not political blame games" and taking action would need major changes and decisive action from stakeholders.

Rahul also shared a video on 'X' in which he discussed air pollution issues with environmentalist Vimlendu Jha at the iconic India Gate here.

In a post while sharing the video, he said air pollution in North India is a "national emergency", which is a "public health crisis" that is "stealing" children’s future and suffocating the elderly, and an environmental and economic disaster that is "ruining countless lives".

"The poorest among us suffer the most, unable to escape the toxic air that surrounds them. Families are gasping for clean air, children are falling sick, and millions of lives are being cut short. Tourism is declining and our global reputation is crumbling," he said.

He said the cloud of pollution covers hundreds of kilometres and cleaning it up will need major changes and decisive action from governments, companies, experts and citizens. "We need a collective national response, not political blame games," he said.

With Parliament convening on November 25, he said, "MPs will all be reminded of the crisis by our irritated eyes and sore throats. It is our responsibility to come together and discuss how India can end this crisis once and for all."

North India, especially the national capital, is witnessing acute air pollution for the past few weeks. The Air Quality Index in Delhi had been in 'severe category' for several days though it eased a bit on Friday.