The group deliberated on a charter of demands that will be presented to the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav and several state governments once finalised. “The alarming levels of air pollution have been a growing concern for our country, and it’s time we address it collectively,” said PGCA convener and Congress Lok Sabha MP from Assam Gaurav Gogoi.
Other MPs in the group include Pradyut Bordoloi, Hasnain Masoodi, Shyam Singh Yadav, Dr. Kalanidhi Veeraswamy, Sujeet Kumar, Jagannath Sarkar, Dr Mahua Maji and Indra Hang Subba. The charter framed by the MPs says that there should be an integration of air quality with public health in policy matters and pushes for the installation of infrastructure in rural and urban areas alike to capture even finer pollutants.
The charter says that governments need to encapsulate an airshed approach at the municipal or citylevel. It has also recommended international cooperation to reduce the effects of trans-boundary effects of air pollution.
The MPs have further recommended partnerships of industries with the Government and other stakeholders to adopt clean air initiatives.