Delhi Air Pollution Down 25% in 3 Years: Kejriwal in C-40 Address

The MEA had said the panel discussion does not commensurate with the level of participation from other countries.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. 

(Photo: PTI)

After being denied political clearance by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addressed the C-40 Climate Summit in Denmark via video conferencing on Friday, 11 October.

In the press conference he announced that air pollution in Delhi had already reduced by 25 percent over the last three years and that he will sign the Clean Air Cities declaration to further improve air quality in the city.

Listing the efforts his government has taken, he mentioned the odd-even scheme, restrictions on diesel vehicles and uninterrupted power supply.

He added that thermal power plants had been shut, industries had been incentivised to switch to cleaner fuels and afforestation had been initiated in the city.

Kejriwal also said he plans to set up a task force, chaired by himself, to monitor pollution and ensure that the provisions of the declaration are followed.

Kejriwal was to leave on Tuesday for the C-40 Climate Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, but could not do so after the MEA denied his request.

The MEA supported their decision saying dignitaries of the other countries at the event were of the “mayor level” and that they did not deem fit for the CM of India’s national capital to be present there.

Kejriwal was to lead an eight-member delegation to the summit, to be held from 9-12 October. At the summit, he was to speak on AAP government’s experience in lowering pollution level in Delhi and other related issues.

In response to media queries regarding political clearance for Kejriwal, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said, “A considered decision on political clearance by the Ministry of External Affairs is based on multiple inputs and takes into account the nature of the event, the level of participation by other countries, type of invitation extended, etc.”

Union minister Prakash Javadekar said it was a “mayor-level conference” and a West Bengal minister is going to attend it.

However, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said his party will raise the issue in assembly elections due early next year.

“Election is coming and the AAP will take this issue of not granting us permission to present our good work to the world to the people of Delhi. We will expose the ill-motive and mindset of the BJP,” Singh, the Delhi Vidhan Sabha election in-charge of AAP, said.

Singh also said Sheila Dikshit had participated in the climate summit as chief minister of Delhi. "It is a very lame excuse," he said on the protocol issue.

(With inputs from PTI)