A thick layer of smog envelopes Ajmer, Rajasthan on November 22, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The air quality index (AQI) has worsened in eastern Rajasthan districts, bordering Haryana, because of smog in the National Capital Region (NCR). The cold has intensified and the fog has increased under the impact of northern winds.
Sunlight has become feeble, with smog engulfing the surroundings in Alwar, Bharatpur, Deeg, Khairthal-Tijara and Kotputli-Behror districts. Mining operations, crusher stone work and brick kilns have been shut down in the five districts and work on flyovers, roads and other projects halted.
The administration in Khairthal-Tijara has announced that all government and private schools will hold online classes for students of classes 1 to 5 till Saturday (November 23, 2024) in view of the alarmingly high pollution levels in the NCR. Collector Kishore Kumar issued the order earlier this week following the Supreme Court’s direction to the States.
Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Tika Ram Jully had demanded the announcement of an action plan to control pollution in Alwar district on its 250th foundation day falling on November 25. Mr. Jully represents the Alwar Rural constituency in the Assembly.
Mr. Jully blamed the “indifference” of both the Union and State governments for the situation created by the increasing air pollution in the eastern Rajasthan districts. This despite the fact that both the Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and State Environment Minister Sanjay Sharma were elected from Alwar, he said.
Mr. Jully said an effective action plan should be announced to make Alwar, situated in the Aravalli Hills region, “clean, green and beautiful”.
“I had earlier warned about the deteriorating condition of AQI in Alwar and Bhiwadi, but the government did not take it seriously. The AQI in Bhiwadi has reached 500, and in Alwar it has touched 300, because of the uncontrolled condition in the NCR,” he said.
The LoP said the entire Aravalli Range and the agricultural landscape were facing a threat because of the alarming level of pollution. Besides, the State government had not launched any action to take care of the families of daily wage workers of mining, crushers, brick kilns and construction rendered unemployed because of the graded response action plan’s stage 4 restrictions, Mr. Jully said.
Published – November 23, 2024 10:25 am IST