Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has called for Parliament to take up air pollution as a matter of urgency, saying it has turned into a national health emergency that requires immediate government action and financial backing.
On Sunday, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said pollution has moved beyond being an environmental issue and must be addressed through policy and budgetary intervention.
“Pollution is no longer just an environmental issue, it is a national health emergency. Parliament must discuss it. The government must act. And this Budget must put real resources behind real solutions. Indians are not asking for reports or rhetoric. They are asking for clean air,” Rahul said in a Facebook post.
Rahul said he had spent the last few days reading thousands of messages from people across the country about how pollution has affected their lives. According to him, one emotion cut across cities and regions.
“What stood out was fear - fear for children, for parents, for tomorrow - felt by families in cities across India,” he wrote.
The Congress leader has been raising the issue consistently over the past week. Earlier, he said Indians are paying a heavy price for air pollution, both in terms of health and the economy, with children and the elderly suffering the most.
In a post on X last week, Rahul urged citizens to speak up against air pollution and share their experiences. He asked people to write to him about its impact on their lives and on their families.
He invited them to share the story of “how air pollution has affected you or your loved ones” through the link https://rahulgandhi.in/awaazbharatki.
