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Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat criticised the central government over air pollution, stating that the problem extends beyond Delhi to all major cities. He accused the Centre of avoiding parliamentary discussion on the issue, alleging that it is "shirking responsibility" and missing opportunities for meaningful debate in Parliament.
"This is not just Delhi's issue, but the same situation prevails in all big cities. The government is running away from discussions and doesn't even want to listen to them... The government is shirking its responsibility... Yesterday was an opportunity for a detailed discussion on this matter in Parliament, but the parliamentary proceedings were adjourned... It's a blessing that the government is not saying that Nehru is responsible for this, too," he said. The discussion on air pollution was on the agenda of the Lok Sabha on Thursday, but the House was adjourned soon after the Viksit Bharat- G RAM G Bill 2025 was passed. The bill, which seeks to replace MGNREGA, was vociferously opposed by Congress and other opposition members who shouted slogans. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Rijiju condemned the behaviour of opposition MPs, including the alleged tearing of papers. The two Houses were adjourned sine die on Friday, the last date of the winter session of Parliament. Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die soon after it met for the day. The winter session of Parliament began on December 1. Meanwhile, earlier today, several parts of the Capital city continued to witness alarmingly high pollution levels. According CPCB, the AQI figure at Sarai Kale Khan stood at 428, while Akshardham recorded an AQI of 420. Rao Tularam Marg recorded an AQI of 403, and the Barapullah flyover area recorded 380. Other pollution hotspots included Anand Vihar (428), Ashok Vihar (407), and the ITO area (429), also falling under the 'severe' category across large swathes of the national capital. In response to the deteriorating air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has invoked all measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage-IV across Delhi-NCR. The restrictions under GRAP-IV include a ban on non-essential construction activities, entry of certain diesel vehicles, and enhanced enforcement to curb pollution sources. (ANI)
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