Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar today stressed the need to work daily to fight the menace of air pollution.
Replying to the discussion in Lok Sabha on air pollution and climate change, Mr Javadekar said, the government has clamped down coal-based thermal power plants to check air pollution. He said pollution is being monitored in 355 cities.
Mr Javadekar said government has made city specific plans.
The Minister said, eighty per cent vehicular emissions reduction was registered after the adoption of BS-IV fuel standards in heavy-duty diesel vehicles.
Saying planting saplings can be a good initiative, the Minister suggested that every citizen should plant at least seven trees.
The Minister informed that the Central Government has notified a Graded Response Action Plan for Delhi and NCR for different levels of pollution.
Mr Javadekar informed the House that India has already reduced its carbon emissions intensity by 22 per cent, and now the target is to go beyond 35 per cent.
The Minister said a number of initiatives have been taken for the abatement and control of air pollution including, operationalization of Eastern Peripheral Expressway and Western peripheral Expressway in 2018. He said, the government is ready to adopt any new technology that helps in reducing pollution.
He claimed that New Delhi will take less time than Beijing to improve its air quality.
