Amid deteriorating pollution levels in the Delhi-NCR regions, the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has now written a letter to PM Modi demanding an emergency meeting with the governments of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh to discuss the decline of business despite the festive season.
CTI chairperson Brijesh Goyal said business is declining despite the festive season due to pollution.
In the letter to the Prime Minister, he said, "The central government is requested to take strict and concrete steps against air pollution in collaboration with all the governments or else business will suffer."
With air quality reaching ‘severe’ category, people have been avoiding going to the markets for festive shopping. The number of people from NCR reaching Delhi, which reportedly used to be between 3 and 4 lakh, has now come down to one lakh. As of 6:45 am on 5 November, the overall air quality in the national capital stood at 410. As per SAFAR data, areas like Delhi University, IIT Delhi, T3, Noida recorded AQI at 456, 442, 468, 466 respectively all in ‘severe’ category.
Coming back to the CTI Chairman, "Now that the wedding season is near, the footfall in the market is good. Customers from other cities also come to Delhi. Now people do not want to come because of the pollution. Many people are having trouble breathing."
Goyal further added that pollution is not just problem in Delhi but also in NCR cities like Noida, Faridabad, Gurgaon and Sonipat, adding that the AQI level has reached the severe category and only the Central Government can find a solution to it.
The Delhi government is trying its best but it is not in the hands of the Delhi government alone to get rid of pollution in Delhi-NCR, said CTI. Unless the governments of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi work together, Delhi NCR will not be able to get rid of pollution, it added.
The CTI in its letter, has therefore requested the Prime Minister for an emergency meeting to be called in which the governments of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh will participate.
Therefore, CTI has written a letter to PM Narendra Modi demanding an emergency meeting in which the leaders from the concerned states, along with the Environment Minister, can have a discussion on the ongoing pollution issue and look for a resolution.
Concluding the letter, CTI wrote, The 20 lakh traders in Delhi are completely with the government and if the government makes different timings for opening the markets, then all the market associations in Delhi will cooperate with the government.
(With inputs from ANI)
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