Next 15 days crucial to tackle air pollution in Delhi, says Gopal Rai

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai emphasised the urgent need to tackle air pollution across northern India, calling the next 15 days "crucial". Following a key meeting with the Central government on Friday, Rai held a press conference on Saturday. The meeting, attended by Union Ministers Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Bhupender Yadav, along with environment ministers from neighbouring states, aimed to assess and address the worsening air quality in the region. Rai expressed concern over the delay in this year's meeting and said, "Last year, a similar meeting was held in August, allowing us more time to strategise. "This year's meeting took place in the last week of October. Had it been conducted three months earlier, we could have tackled the pollution problem more effectively," Rai said. According to Rai, Punjab has shown a promising downtrend in the stubble burning incidents, with only 1,500 cases reported this year compared to nearly 5,000 cases in 2022. However, he noted an upti