Zameer Ahmed blames Union government for petrol price hike in Karnataka
Bengaluru: Zameer Ahmed Khan, Minister for Housing and Minority Welfare, stated that the BJP-led NDA government was responsible for the price hike in petrol and diesel in the state. He was addressing the media in Bengaluru on Monday.
Addressing reporters, Khan said that the central government charged Rs 32.98 per liter of petrol and Rs 31.83 per liter of diesel as excise duty. He criticized BJP leaders for not raising their voices about this issue.
He highlighted that during the UPA government, excise duties on petrol and diesel were significantly lower, at Rs 9.48 and Rs 3.56 per liter, respectively. At that time, petrol was priced at Rs 68.31 per liter and diesel at Rs 48.63 per liter. Under the current BJP government, petrol prices have surged to Rs 106 per liter, despite a decrease in crude oil prices from Rs 97.68 per barrel during the UPA era to Rs 77.64 per barrel now.
Khan questioned why petrol and diesel prices have not decreased despite the lower crude oil prices. He also pointed out that during the tenure of the Basavaraj Bommai government in Karnataka, petrol prices crossed Rs 100 per liter, and cooking gas prices soared from Rs 419 to Rs 903.
Questioning the BJP leaders' silence on the price hikes by the Union government, Zameer Ahmed challenged them to come to an open discussion on the issue.
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Assam's Byrnihat tops global pollution list; Delhi most polluted capital: Report
New Delhi (PTI): Thirteen of the world's top 20 most polluted cities are in India, with Byrnihat in Assam topping the list, according to a new report published on Tuesday.
The World Air Quality Report 2024 by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir said Delhi remains the most polluted capital city globally, while India ranked as the world's fifth most polluted country in 2024, down from third in 2023.
The report said India saw a 7 percent decline in PM2.5 concentrations in 2024, averaging 50.6 micrograms per cubic metre, compared to 54.4 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023. Yet, 13 of the world's 20 most polluted cities are in India.
Air pollution in Delhi worsened, with the annual average PM2.5 concentration rising from 102.4 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023 to 108.3 micrograms per cubic metre in 2024.
The Indian cities in the world's top 20 most polluted cities are Byrnihat, Delhi, Punjab's Mullanpur, Faridabad, Loni, Gurugram, Ganganagar, Greater Noida, Bhiwadi, Muzaffarnagar, Hanumangarh and Noida.
Overall, 35 percent of the Indian cities reported annual PM2.5 levels exceeding 10 times the WHO limit of 5 micrograms per cubic metre, the report said.
The high level of pollution in Byrnihat, a town on the border of Assam and Meghalaya, is due to emissions from local factories, including distilleries, iron and steel plants.
Delhi grapples with high air pollution year-round and the problem worsens in winter when unfavourable meteorological conditions, combined with vehicular emissions, paddy-straw burning, firecrackers and other local pollution sources, make the air quality hazardous.
Air pollution remains a serious health risk in India, reducing life expectancy by an estimated 5.2 years.
According to a Lancet Planetary Health study published last year, about 1.5 million deaths in India every year from 2009 to 2019 were potentially linked to long-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution.
PM2.5 refers to tiny air pollution particles smaller than 2.5 microns, which can enter the lungs and bloodstream, leading to breathing problems, heart disease and even cancer. Sources include vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions and the burning of wood or crop waste.
Former WHO chief scientist and health ministry advisor Soumya Swaminathan said India has made progress in air quality data collection but lacks sufficient action.
"We have the data; now we need action. Some solutions are easy like replacing biomass with LPG. India already has a scheme for this, but we must further subsidise additional cylinders. The first cylinder is free, but the poorest families, especially women, should receive higher subsidies. This will improve their health and reduce outdoor air pollution," she told PTI in an interview.
In cities, expanding public transport and imposing fines on certain cars could help. "A mix of incentives and penalties is necessary," she said.
"Finally, strict enforcement of emission laws is crucial. Industries and construction sites must comply with regulations and install equipment to cut emissions instead of taking shortcuts," the former director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research added.
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