Parliamentary panel drops NCR pollution from agenda; sparks debate
What's the story
A parliamentary panel has dropped the issue of air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region from its agenda for November 17, without any reason. The decision was met with criticism from Congress leader Ajay Maken, a member of the standing committee on home affairs. In a letter to panel chairperson Radha Mohan Das Agrawal, Maken stressed that "Delhi's air-pollution crisis must be treated as a public-health emergency." Citing health risks, he requested it to be restored or rescheduled at the earliest.
Agenda change
Original agenda included discussions on air pollution
The original agenda for the November 17 meeting included discussions on air pollution in Delhi-NCR, enforcement of regulatory measures, and coordination among law enforcement and government agencies.
However, a revised public notice on November 6 dropped this hearing without any explanation. The new agenda focuses on drug trafficking and narcotics control instead.
Maken said the air-pollution crisis must be treated as a public-health emergency.
Urgent attention
Maken urges prompt hearing on public health emergency
He emphasized that the protection of vulnerable people and effective enforcement require urgent attention.
"A prompt hearing would allow the Committee to examine what the responsible agencies are doing, whether implementation is falling short and what immediate corrective action is needed," he said.
Congress leader Pawan Khera also questioned the move, asking on X, "If a matter so central to public health....can be deferred indefinitely, it raises a serious question: how seriously will public health be treated anywhere else?"
Uninformed chairperson
Agrawal unaware of Maken's letter, refuses to discuss issues
Panel chairperson Agrawal said he was unaware of Maken's letter.
"I am ignorant of the letter," he told PTI.
Asked why the pollution issue was dropped in the revised agenda, Agrawal said he does not discuss issues relating to the Committee meetings in public.
Meanwhile, Delhi's air quality remained in the 'very poor' category on Wednesday, with the capital recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 301, according to real-time data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).