Yechury blasts Modi govt for Delhi pollution

06 November, New Delhi

CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury today attributed the systematic and regular “dilution” of environmental laws by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre for the “deadly pollution” in Delhi and said the public health policy needs “Just implementation”.

“Deadly pollution in Delhi is a warning for the rest of India. Environmental laws have been systematically and regularly diluted by the Centre,” Yechury said in a tweet.

In another tweet, the senior Marxist leader said: “Public health warrants progressive laws and their just implementation, unlike what we have witnessed in the last 2.5 years from the Centre”.Heavy smog and a thick blanket of grey haze enveloped the skyline of the national capital and the adjoining national capital region (NCR) today, affecting the visibility for the entire day.

The visibility was reduced around 200 meters in most parts of the city.Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal declared all schools to be shut for three days and banned construction work for five days in the national capital.

Kejriwal also met Union Environment Minister Anil Dave yesterday. For his part, Dave, however, said today that it is no time for blame game and all agencies and the states and the Centre need to work together.

“The Centre is always ready to help the state governments,” Dave said, but stressed that under the federal structure, the states need to do their part and implement the programmes and policies effectively.