Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Wednesday that he will again reach out to the Union environment minister, urging an urgent meeting to discuss the use of artificial rain during peak pollution periods.  Rai said that no response was received to his previous letter.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Rai addressed the city's pollution concerns and emphasised the need for emergency measures to tackle the rising pollution levels.

With Diwali around the corner, Rai said air pollution tends to become severe between November one and 15 during this festive period.

He emphasised that emergency measures, such as the use of artificial rain, are needed and he had previously requested the Union minister for a meeting regarding the matter but had not yet received a response from the central government.

“I will write again to the Union environment minister, urging for an emergency meeting so we can implement the necessary measures to address this serious situation,” Rai said.

He also highlighted the steps Delhi is taking as part of its 21-point Winter Action Plan and mentioned that on October seven, a 14-point anti-dust pollution campaign was implemented to reduce dust pollution caused by construction activities.

“To ensure compliance, I personally inspected two construction sites and held a meeting at the Delhi Secretariat with representatives from 120 construction companies. These companies were trained on the guidelines, including dos and don'ts, with the goal of reducing dust pollution this winter,” Rai said.

The companies were provided with pamphlets detailing 14 specific guidelines to follow and were instructed to train their workers on these measures.

“We expect their cooperation to help lower pollution levels, and in return, we have recognised companies making significant efforts with the Hari Ratan Award,” Rai added.

To enforce these guidelines, the government has already begun inspecting construction sites and imposing penalties on them who do not comply.  Rai also said daily inspections and crackdowns on violations will continue.