New Delhi: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday said major cities across the country are living under a blanket of toxic air and demanded a detailed discussion on air pollution in the Lok Sabha.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Gandhi said the problem was not ideological and urged the government to structure the debate in a way that allows both the opposition and treasury benches to work towards solutions rather than trade blame.
“We should discuss this in detail in Parliament and the Prime Minister should come up with a systematic plan for every city — a plan that, in the next five or 10 years, can make life easier for our people,” Gandhi said.
He said air pollution was severely affecting public health, especially children and the elderly. “Most of our major cities are living under a blanket of toxic air. Millions of children are suffering from lung diseases. Their future is being ruined. People are falling prey to cancer. The elderly are having trouble breathing,” he said.
Responding to the demand, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was ready for a discussion on the issue. He said the Business Advisory Committee of the Lok Sabha could fix a suitable time for the debate.
