New Delhi / Harbhajan requests PM Modi to take immediate action on pollution

As pollution levels in Delhi continue to deteriorate, India cricketer Harbhajan Singh on Monday launched a video in which he launched a plea to PM Modi to take action to reduce the pollution levels in the capital city. In the video, which he uploaded on Twitter, the off-spinner wrote: “I want to speak about the pollution in the North India. We all are a cause for it, including me. We burn cars and things we do also cause a harm to the environment. We have learnt over the last few years that fodder burning also causes a lot of pollution.”

“It is harmful for every child anyone residing in those areas. We have also learnt that our life expectancy will reduce by 7-10 years if we continue with such practices, so we need to act,” he added.

“I want to request PM Narendra Modi and I request the chief minister of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana to meet with PM Modi. Keeping in mind everyone, including the farmers and every living being, the leaders should chalk out a plan that benefits everyone. I would request this meeting to happen quickly,” the cricketer added.

“PM Modi, please give your time to this and guide us how we can make India clean as well as healthy. We will also contribute in whatever we can so that we can keep our environment healthy so that the next generation leads a good life,” he signed off.

Meanwhile, two judges of the Supreme Court on Monday explored various options to quickly improve the national capital Delhi’s toxic air that the court opined was killing people because various government agencies weren’t doing their job. At one point, Justice Arun Mishra, who was attempting to drive home the point to officials about the poor air quality, said: “This (situation in Delhi) is worse than Emergency. That Emergency was better than this emergency.”

The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) value on Monday morning was 437 and the average level of PM2.5 – the finer and more harmful of the particulates – was more than seven times the safe levels. Apart from emissions from vehicular traffic in Delhi, experts also blame farm fires in neighbouring states that were, on Friday last, estimated to be responsible for 46 per cent of the city.