What action does Amitabh Kant, India's G20 Sherpa, demand to tackle Delhi's pollution crisis?

Amitabh Kant, India's G20 Sherpa, has called for urgent and decisive action to tackle Delhi's pollution crisis, including ending crop and biomass burning, shutting down or modernizing thermal power plants, and switching the entire transportation system to electric mode within the next 5 years.

How does Amitabh Kant criticize the Supreme Court's decision on firecrackers?

Amitabh Kant has strongly criticized the Supreme Court for easing restrictions on firecrackers, saying it has prioritized the "right to burn crackers" over the "right to live and breathe" of Delhi's residents.

How does Delhi's air quality compare to previous years during Diwali?

According to the article, Delhi's air quality on Diwali this year (AQI 345) was worse than last year (328 in 2024), and higher than the previous two years -- 218 in 2023 and 312 in 2022, indicating the need for urgent action to address the pollution crisis.

Home / Environment / India's G20 Sherpa Urges Decisive Action to Tackle Delhi's Pollution Crisis

India's G20 Sherpa Urges Decisive Action to Tackle Delhi's Pollution Crisis

21 Oct

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Summary

Amitabh Kant criticizes Supreme Court for prioritizing "right to burn crackers" over "right to live and breathe"
Calls for ending crop/biomass burning, shutting down or modernizing thermal power plants, and switching to electric transport in 5 years
Delhi's air quality reaches "very poor" levels, worse than previous years

India's G20 Sherpa Urges Decisive Action to Tackle Delhi's Pollution Crisis

In the wake of Diwali celebrations that left Delhi-NCR gasping under a dense blanket of toxic smog, Amitabh Kant, India's G20 Sherpa and former NITI Aayog CEO, has taken aim at the Supreme Court for its decision to ease restrictions on firecrackers. Kant says the court has prioritized the "right to burn crackers" over the "right to live and breathe."

Kant has called for a "unified action plan" to address Delhi's pollution crisis, drawing parallels to cities like Los Angeles, Beijing, and London that have successfully tackled air pollution. He has urged for the immediate end of crop and biomass burning, the shutdown or modernization of thermal power plants and brick kilns, and the complete shift of all transportation services to electric mode within the next 5 years.