Winter: Environment Ministry, States outline plans to stem pollution
The Hindu
All representatives have agreed to aid the farmer and not vitiate the air, says Bhupendra Yadav
The Union Environment Ministry convened a meeting on Thursday with representatives from Delhi and neighbouring States that see pollution levels soar during winter.
While the meteorological conditions exacerbate pollution, emissions from vehicles, thermal plants and the burning of rice chaff in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh ahead of the winter-sowing of wheat are key man-made reasons for the noxious winter that puts the capital city and several cities in these States on global lists of the places with the worst air.
Following the meeting, no new measures were announced and the focus appeared to be on strengthening existing programmes.
The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.