00:00And big news coming in from Delhi NCR.
00:03Delhi Environment Minister Manjindra Singh Srishtar has apologized for the pollution in Delhi NCR region.
00:09Remember, for the past few days, the Delhi citizens have been struggling with severe category and poor category pollution levels.
00:16And now, the minister has said sorry, but he also says, there's a rider,
00:21that he says that he cannot fix the pollution problem or the AQI in just seven to eight months.
00:28And that is the time since their government came into power.
00:31So let's listen to what he's saying.
00:58Where were your masks last year?
01:00Last year, it was more pollution.
01:02Last year, it was more pollution.
01:04Last year, it was more pollution.
01:05Last year, if we're talking about this day, it was 380 AQI.
01:08But neither Rahul Gandhi nor Priyanka Gandhi, because these people were the people of the party.
01:13And today, we remember all of these things.
01:17And joining us live on this issue is India Today's Anmol.
01:22Bali Anmol, the minister, although seems to be apologizing,
01:27but the apology is only half an apology because he dedicates only three words for that.
01:31And then he goes on to say that it is an impossible feat and then goes on to do politics on it.
01:38Okay, we'll try and speak to Anmol as soon as possible.
01:47But as you just heard the minister, his apology came.
01:51But right after the apology came an admission of an inability to fix the pollution and the AQI
01:59within the time span that they've been in power.
02:02And also, a blame shift or a blame game towards the earlier government in power.
02:09Saying that they are the ones who did not fix it.
02:13And then they also target the main opposition in the country,
02:18which is the Gandhi siblings and their party.
02:21And say that their pollution mask did not come out when the Ahmadinei party government was in power.
02:28Because remember, it was November 18th to 2024,
02:33which was officially registered as one of the worst air quality polluted day.
02:40And now it seems questions are being raised by the minister as to why last year also,
02:47when the pollution level was in severe plus category, why was it not raised then?
02:53Now let's listen in once again to what the minister is saying.
02:58I don't know.
03:28Right, so you just heard the minister there saying that yes, it is actually the last year
03:48pollution level which was the worst and we did not see the opposition members of the
03:54country pulling out their masks and questioning the AQI level when the Aam Admi Party government
04:00was in power in Delhi. But the question also remains, why ask the question of what has happened
04:08already? What about now? What about the plan for the future? Till date, Delhi citizens are waiting
04:14for a comprehensive long-term and a short-term plan to counter this pollution that we have seen,
04:20this deadly pollution that has been covering Delhi and the adjoining areas, the NCR areas that we've
04:28been seeing. Already, many schools have turned to hybrid mode. We have grabbed four and joining us
04:37right now once again is India Today's Anmol Bali. Anmol, as I was asking you earlier, it seems that
04:44the minister apologizes, but then he quickly jumps into blame game and he quickly starts questioning
04:53the opposition parties as well and the previous government as well.
05:00Ranji, today we saw a visual of Aam Admi Party protesting here outside the Delhi Secretariat.
05:06They were clinking plates and even we have seen that Aam Admi Party leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sanjeev
05:10Jaya reached there with various workers, those who were clinking plates outside Delhi Secretariat
05:15and they were protesting against the BJP and the pollution situation in the national capital.
05:19And on the other hand, Minister Mandinder Sirsa has also called a press conference regarding
05:24pollution situation and the stricter curb they're going to take to curb pollution in the national
05:28capital, where he clearly said that I apologize to the people living in the national capital,
05:32but it is not possible or it is not easy to curb pollution within few months, like seven
05:37to eight months and yeah, Aam Admi Party starting, the BJP not only Aam Admi Party, but the blame
05:42game is also being played by the opposition and the ruling party both and Congress is also
05:47blaming the Bharatiya Janta Party.
05:48We have seen that Rahul Gandhi, Prankha Gandhi, they're talking about the pollution situation.
05:52Absolutely and the questions need to be asked to the government and the minister only.
05:58Let's listen into what exactly did the minister say today.
06:01I want to say so much to the people of Delhi.
06:03This is why I want to say so much for 9-10 to the people of Delhi when there are no
06:18Okay, so you heard the minister there once again,
06:48and as he spoke about how exactly did the opposition not raise the issue last year,
06:54we go back to our India Today reporter, Anmol Bali,
06:58who's there on the streets of Delhi.
07:00Anmol, a politician is clearly playing out on this issue.
07:04You know, earlier, we used to see politicians ignoring this issue.
07:09But this year, it's taken center stage.
07:11It's taken national politicians also,
07:14who have brought this issue directly into the parliament as well.
07:23Anjali, we have seen that politicians,
07:25those who come from various corners of India for the parliament session,
07:29and we know that winter session is going on,
07:31we have seen that various politicians wearing gas masks come to the parliament,
07:35and they also come on cycle, and even on the EV vehicles.
07:37This came as a message against the pollution in the national capital,
07:41because we know that pollution in Delhi is in very severe category.
07:44The pollution level is above 350 in various corners of Delhi.
07:47And on the other hand, we also see the politics escalating,
07:50where BJP claims that they are working against the pollution,
07:53but Aam Adi Party and the other Congress parties are blaming BJP
07:56for not being able to control pollution in Delhi.
07:59And today also, we have seen that government has announced various strict measures
08:03to control pollution, like Grab 4 has been implemented earlier.
08:07It was seen that various provisions of Grab 4 were shifted to Grab 3,
08:10and Grab 3's provisions were shifted to Grab 2,
08:13and even schools have been now shifted to hybrid mode.
08:15Right, absolutely.
08:16And we'll come back to you as we try and explain to our viewers
08:19what are the exact pollution curves that have been implemented in Delhi.
08:24We'll be coming back to you.
08:25Stay with us.
08:26So, Delhi government has imposed, in fact, it is planning to impose strict action
08:32against pollution-creating actions in Delhi to curb the pollution.
08:38They have announced some stricter curbs.
08:40Minister said that from day after tomorrow,
08:42vehicles without a valid PUC, which is Pollution Under Control Certificates,
08:48will not be provided fuel at the petrol pumps.
08:51So, if you do not have your PUC updated,
08:53please go and do that because you will not get petrol in Delhi.
08:57Now, with enforcement will be done,
09:00and it will be done through cameras.
09:03All monitoring will be done,
09:04so the petrol pumps can refuse you fuel.
09:08He further announced that non-Delhi private vehicles,
09:11which are below BS6 norms,
09:13will not be allowed to enter Delhi.
09:15This is important for the people who travel to Delhi for work
09:18or any other reasons and cross the borders daily.
09:21The transportation of building materials into the city has also been banned,
09:27and strict action will be taken against violators.
09:29So, any trucks that will be coming in into Delhi with these materials will face action.
09:36Going back to India Today's Anmol,
09:39who is keeping an eye on this situation.
09:41Anmol, this issue, of course, is important to note,
09:46but the curb that the Minister is saying that if you do not have a PUC will mean you will not get petrol.
09:55Now, is this only for Delhi?
09:57Because I am assuming this kind of a curb cannot be imposed in the rest of the areas of NCR by the Delhi government.
10:04Anjali, this curb has been imposed for national capital Delhi only,
10:13not for the NCR where we have seen that today while talking with media,
10:16Minister Maninder Sesa has clearly announced this curb.
10:19He clearly has said that people without PUCC, pollution under control certificates,
10:23those who have expired or doesn't have any certificates,
10:26will not be given fuel at the petrol pumps, at the diesel pumps.
10:28And even this will all be monitored by the cameras.
10:32The cameras will be reading the number plates and then it will allow the vehicle to get fuel or not.
10:37And on the other hand, they have also announced that no building material is entered
10:40in the national capital.
10:42Action will be taken against the people.
10:44Those will try to bring the building material into the national capital
10:46because we know that Graph 4 has been imposed where construction work has been banned by the Delhi government.
10:51And even they have also said that vehicles, non-Delhi vehicles under BS6
10:56are also not allowed to enter in the national capital.
11:00So, these clear strict measures have been now imposed by Delhi government.
11:03This all will be implemented day after tomorrow.
11:06So, you have time till tomorrow.
11:07You can update your PUC certificate or you can work on your other things
11:11if you want to travel in the national capital, Anjali.
11:14Absolutely.
11:14Thank you very much, Anmol, for all those details.
11:16So, there is now a call out to everyone who has a car and intends to come to Delhi.
11:23You better have your licenses and your certificates in place.
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