Centre, states must work together to implement scalable solutions to tackle air pollution: Tharoor
Noting that air pollution transcends economic, social and political divides and is both a grave public health crisis and an environmental emergency, Tharoor said it demands not just our best ideas, but our collective courage and concerted action across sectors and states.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP made the remarks at a high-level roundtable on 'Clean Air and Public Health: Advancing Collective Action' at the India Habitat Centre here on Tuesday.
Hosted by Tharoor and convened by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and AirQualityAsia (AQA), the dialogue was the seventh such roundtable since 2017 that brings together India's leading air quality experts, policymakers, health professionals, and civil society actors to deliberate on scalable,
cross-sectoral solutions to reduce air pollution and improve public health across cities, towns, and villages.
Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation, Rao Inderjit Singh, said in his inaugural address that clean air is a national imperative that needed to be addressed.
"Platforms like this bring together sharper minds and practical ideas that can help us in the government in taking tangible steps forward. I look forward to the insights from today's discussion contributing to initiatives like the
National Clean Air Programme
and beyond," he said.
In his opening address, Tharoor said the evidence is stark as nearly 70 per cent of our population -- around 980 million people -- are breathing air that fails to meet even "our own national standards" (as of 2023).
"Delhi may have recorded its cleanest July in a decade, but just last winter, it suffered its worst air quality in four years. The Central government and states must work together, alongside experts,industry, civil society, and citizens, to align our efforts and implement scalable solutions -- from clean transport to cleaner fuels," Tharoor said.
"If we can sustain this momentum, we can turn the aspiration for clean air into a lasting reality," he added.
The roundtable brought together MPs representing diverse states, including Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena-UBT), Sudhanshu Trivedi (BJP) Sasmit Patra (BJD), Vivek Tankha (Congress), Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu (TDP), P P Chaudhary (BJP) and Naveen Jindal (BJP), among others.
Arunabha Ghosh, founder-CEO of CEEW and member, Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), said, "Air pollution is a liability, but clean air is an economic asset. It improves worker productivity, educational outcomes, talent attraction to our cities, and even foreign investment."
"The more we see clean air as an economic driver -- not just an environmental goal -- the faster we can bring in the full force of government, industry, and civil society. This isn't just about regulators or ministries -- it's about all of us.
"We must bridge the gap between being economic agents by day and citizens by night. Clean air must become a
shared, national priority," Ghosh said.
Soumya Swaminathan, chairperson of the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, said air pollution is the number one health risk in India today -- linked not just to asthma and lung disease but also to diabetes, heart attacks, dementia, and poor brain development in children.
"The health ministry faces the consequences, but the responsibility lies across all ministries. Clean air must be seen not as a cost but as a public good and an investment in the health of current and future generations," she said.
The dialogue proposed coordinated actions such as establishing a council of state environment ministers to drive inter-state collaboration and strengthen environmental federalism. PTI
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
18 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Sacking of Rajanna exposes Congress' ‘anti-Dalit' face, says BJP
The BJP has maintained that the sacking of Scheduled Tribes leader K.N. Rajanna from the Cabinet over his views on 'voter theft' had revealed the 'true anti-Dalit face' of the Congress, besides exposing the hollowness of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's claims of championing the cause of Ahinda (Kannada acronym for minorities, OBCs, and Dalits). In a social media post, BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra said: 'This is the true face of Congress — anti-Dalit, anti-democratic and anti-truth. It also exposes the hollowness of Mr. Siddaramaiah's claims of championing the Ahinda cause. When leaders from these communities are targeted, he does not defend them. Instead, he bows to the diktats of the Delhi high command to safeguard his own position as Chief Minister.' He said that Mr. Rajanna, a senior Dalit leader, was removed from the State Cabinet 'for merely speaking the truth.' 'Clear pattern' Mr. Vijayendra further claimed: 'The pattern is clear. In the case of erstwhile ST Welfare Minister Nagendra, funds earmarked for the development of the community were siphoned off to finance Congress's election expenses. Instead of holding the CM and Deputy CM accountable, the blame was placed entirely on Mr. Nagendra, and the matter was quietly closed.' Meanwhile in the Legislative Assembly, the BJP members led by Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok raised the issue as soon as speculations about Mr. Rajanna either quitting or being sacked started doing the rounds. Mr. Ashok urged the government and Mr. Rajanna to clarify on the issue. He even argued that Mr. Rajanna should not be sitting in the place earmarked for Ministers if he is no longer a part of the ministry. While Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would respond to them later, Mr. Rajanna said he was told by the Law Minister not to speak. 'Whether I have resigned or not will be told by the Chief Minister,' he said. But the Chief Minister stayed away from the session, while Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who was in the session, chose not to comment on the floor of the House. Taking exception to Mr. Rajanna and the government remaining mum, Mr. Ashok sought to remind them that it was during the protest over the honey-trap allegations made by Mr. Rajanna that 18 of the BJP MLAs had been suspended. Meanwhile, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Arvind Bellad maintained that the sacking of Mr. Rajanna, a close aide of Mr. Siddaramaiah, was 'a big blow' delivered to the Chief Minister by his deputy.
Time of India
27 minutes ago
- Time of India
War of words erupts over river linking project
Surat: Ahead of a rally on Thursday announced by the Congress party in Dharampur, to protest the Par Tapi Narmada river linking project, a war of words has begun between political leaders. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Congress's Vansda MLA Anant Patel called for the rally and urged tribals to join in large numbers to protest the project, while BJP leaders claimed that the scrapping of the project has already been announced. Patel said the govt prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR) and this is why the protest campaign has restarted. BJP leaders, including C R Paatil, countered by accusing Patel of misleading the public, asserting that the project has been scrapped, as was previously announced by the govt. Union water resources minister Paatil accused the Congress of spreading false information about the Par Tapi Narmada river linking project. The BJP leader urged people not to be swayed by misinformation. "The Congress has recently been raising the issue to gain political mileage among tribal people. The BJP govt is committed to safeguarding the interests of tribal communities and would never implement any plan that harms them," Paatil said. Reacting to Paatil's comments, MLA Anant Patel demanded a clarification from the govt in writing. "Over 1 lakh people are going to be affected by the project and we will continue our campaign until the govt announces it officially in writing. They should declare in a white paper in Parliament that this project is not going to take place," said Anant Patel. Valsad BJP MP Dhaval Patel weighed in, labelling the Congress MLA's allegations "misinformation". Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The BJP's assertion is that the Congress is attempting to instigate unrest among the local population by reviving a defunct project. "The scrapping of the project was announced by the govt in 2022 and no work is being done. Congress is losing elections in the region; hence, in search of support, they are misguiding tribals. This rally is being organized to save Congress's existence in this region," the Valsad MP said. The river linking project, which has been a contentious issue in the region, is seen by some as a potential boon for development, while others fear it could lead to environmental degradation and social disruption.
Time of India
27 minutes ago
- Time of India
Mahajan to hoist Tricolour in Nashik, Tatkare in Raigad
Nashik: State govt on Monday issued a circular stating that BJP minister Girish Mahajan will hoist the Tricolour in Nashik and NCP's Aditi Tatkare will hoist it in Raigad, even as the tussle over the district guardianship between Mahayuti alliance partners remains unresolved. "As per the govt circular, the national Tricolour will be hoisted by WRD minister Girish Mahajan in Nashik," confirmed a senior officer from the district administration here. Shiv Sena minister Uday Samant, who was in Nashik at the time the govt issued the circular, was quick to respond, saying this does not mean that the issue of appointment of the district guardian minister has been resolved. "Shiv Sena has not given up its claim on the Nashik district guardian minister post. The current announcement is limited only to the flag hoisting programme. Even today, we say that for the post of guardianship of Raigad, Bharat Gogawale should be considered, and school education minister Dada Bhuse should be considered for the Nashik post," Samant told reporters. Earlier this year, on Jan 18, the appointment of Aditi Tatkare as the guardian minister of Raigad and Girish Mahajan as the guardian minister of Nashik was announced. However, due to internal tensions in Mahayuti, the guardian minister announcements for both districts were withdrawn the very next day. In Raigad, NCP's Aditi Tatkare and Shiv Sena's Bharat Gogawale are in a tussle for the post, while in Nashik, BJP minister Girish Mahajan and Sena's Dada Bhuse are vying for it. There were speculations that the Tricolour in Nashik would be hoisted by former deputy minister and now minister for food and civil supplies, Chhagan Bhujbal, but instead, he has been asked to go to Gondia for flag hoisting. As per the govt circular, the Governor of Maharashtra, C P Radhakrishnan, will hoist the national Tricolour at Pune, while deputy CM Eknath Shinde will hoist the flag in Thane, deputy CM Ajit Pawar in Beed, BJP minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil in Ahilyanagar, Sena minister Gulabrao Patil in Jalgaon, Sena minister Dada Bhuse in Amravati, BJP minister Jaykumar Rawal in Dhule, and NCP minister Manikrao Kokate in Nandurbar. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
