Aaditya Thackeray backs Priyanka Chaturvedi's Climate Act Bill amid Delhi's worsening air quality

New Delhi [India], November 9 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray expressed support for party MP Priyanka Chaturvedi's Private Members' Bill seeking the establishment of a Climate Act and a Climate Council of India.
In a post on X, Thackeray said, "The private members' bill for a Climate Act and a Climate Council of India tabled by @ShivSenaUBT_ MP @priyankac19 ji would have created a framework for all stakeholders to act within. Today, even with climate emergencies looming large, the GoI functions as if nothing is wrong with our interactions with environment."
Priyanka Chaturvedi, who recently wrote an opinion piece for The Daily Pioneer titled "The climate reality we cannot outrun", said on X, "When breathing itself becomes a daily struggle, silence is no longer an option. My OpEd for @TheDailyPioneer -- Delhi's toxic air and the urgent reforms India needs -- from a Climate Change Council to stronger laws that protect lives, not polluters."
In her article, Chaturvedi wrote, "The great Indian apathy to demand better governance continues. However, this is no longer a seasonal nuisance but a major public health and policy crisis unfolding. For the crores of residents, breathing has become an act of endurance. The norm of pollution has disillusioned the citizens about the need for immediate action by their chosen representatives."
She further noted that "while most cities would shut down at an AQI of over 500, Delhi continues to function as if the choking air were normal, with the Government even hosting fitness events amid it all."
Concluding her piece, Chaturvedi stressed the need for structural reforms, saying, "We must expand public transport; prioritise walking and cycling through safer streets; enforce vehicle and construction emission standards; and embed air quality goals into urban planning. Clean air must be a collective national guarantee. It is not a woke agenda, as many dismiss it, but an urgent health hazard agenda that needs to be tackled on a war footing. The citizens of India deserve better. When fate comes knocking, it will not distinguish between wealth and geography. By then, no nation will be immune to the consequences of its own and our collective inaction."
Meanwhile, the air quality in the national capital plunged into the 'severe' category on Sunday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 391 at 7 am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Several parts of the city registered alarming pollution levels with AQI readings crossing the 400-mark.
As per CPCB data, Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 412, Alipur reported 415, and Bawana registered the highest level at 436. Chandni Chowk recorded an AQI of 409, while RK Puram and Patparganj logged 422 and 425, respectively. Sonia Vihar also recorded a 'severe' AQI of 415, indicating hazardous air conditions across the city.
Earlier on Saturday
The air quality in the national capital plunged into the 'severe' category on Sunday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 391 at 7 am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Several parts of the city registered alarming pollution levels with AQI readings crossing the 400-mark.
As per CPCB data, Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 412, Alipur reported 415, and Bawana registered the highest level at 436. Chandni Chowk recorded an AQI of 409, while RK Puram and Patparganj logged 422 and 425, respectively. Sonia Vihar also recorded a 'severe' AQI of 415, indicating hazardous air conditions across the city.
Earlier on Saturday, the air quality in the national capital was in the 'very poor' category with AQI of 355 as of 8 am. (ANI)