Rajya Sabha members raise concern over pollution, seek stringent measures

Rajya Sabha members cutting across the party lines on Friday expressed concern over rise in the air, water and land pollution in the country and called for stringent measures to deal with the problem that adversely affects human health.

Taking part in a debate on a resolution moved by Congress member Amee Yajnik during private members' business, the members called for steps to promote sustainable development.

Moving the resolution that urged the government to constitute a Joint Parliamentary Committee to present a comprehensive report within a stipulated timeframe on the current status of air, water and land pollution in the country, Yajnik said several reports show that India has the "world's worst air pollution and toxic air kills more than one million people every year".

The resolution also called for stringent provisions in the law to mitigate environmental pollution and promote sustainable development.

The Congress MP said that the smoggy air cloaking India's 22 most populated cities often contains high levels of dangerous fine particulate matter, known as PM 2.5, which has been linked to lung and heart diseases and is known to impair cognitive functions and the immune system.

The Gujarat MP Yajnik said that air pollution also contributes to global warming, as a major component of PM 2.5 is black carbon, which can absorb one million times more energy from the sun than carbon dioxide.

The Congress leader said that New Delhi has reported a high level of 2.5 particles, much higher than the safe limit outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO).

She also raised the issue of water pollution and said "around 80 per cent of India's water is severely polluted due to sewage, silt and garbage are thrown into the country's rivers and lakes".

She noted that the high state of soil erosion, excessive use of chemical fertilizers,biocides (pesticides, insecticides and herbicides), polluted liquids and solids from urban and industrial areas, forest fires, water-logging and related capillary processes, leaching and drought are prime factors for polluting the soil which supports plant life.

Yajnik demanded that the government take steps to form a Joint Parliamentary Committee to work with all stakeholders and set a timeline to present a comprehensive report on the current status of air, water and land pollution in our country.

She also suggested segregation of several factors of air, water and land pollution andprepare a plan of action to control the overall environmental pollution".

The leader also called for stringent provisions in the law to ensure the protection of air, water, and land and to promote sustainable development.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief whip in Rajya Sabha Shiv Pratap Shukla said both the Centre as well as states will have to address the issue.

Another BJP leader Mahesh Poddar said pollution-free life is "a fundamental right of every citizen of India".

Biju Janata Dal's Amar Patnaik also talked about the adverse impact of air, water and land pollution and stressed the need to stop deforestation. He suggested long-term measures to deal with the problem.

YSRC party's V Sai Reddy said India's air quality has been deteriorating for the last few years and "it has a horrifying impact on average life that has been cut short by five to nine years."

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha said pollution adversely impacts GDP growth due to its impact on the health of people.

Aam Aadmi Party's Sanjay Singh and Nationalist Congress Party's Fauzia Khan also raised concerns over pollution and called upon the Centre to fight it with proper coordination with states.

( With inputs from ANI )