NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday called air pollution in North India a "national emergency" and urged Members of Parliament to prioritize the crisis in the upcoming Winter Session as the air quality in Delhi-NCR plunged to alarming levels. Sharing his concerns on X (formerly Twitter), Rahul highlighted the need for a collective national response. Gandhi’s statement was accompanied by a video of his discussion with environmentalist Vimlendu Jha at India Gate, pointing out the multi-dimensional impact of the crisis.
"Air pollution is a public health crisis that is stealing our children's future, suffocating the elderly, and ruining countless lives," Gandhi said in the post. He pointed out that the crisis disproportionately affects the poor, exacerbating health disparities and curbing economic opportunities. "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," the former Congress chief said. "The cloud of pollution covers hundreds of kilometres.
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 added. With the Winter Session scheduled from November 25 to December 20, Rahul urged MPs to discuss strategies to combat the crisis.
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