Skip to content
Hindi News, हिंदी समाचार, Samachar, Breaking News, Latest Khabar – Pratirodh

Hindi News, हिंदी समाचार, Samachar, Breaking News, Latest Khabar – Pratirodh

Primary Menu Hindi News, हिंदी समाचार, Samachar, Breaking News, Latest Khabar – Pratirodh

Hindi News, हिंदी समाचार, Samachar, Breaking News, Latest Khabar – Pratirodh

  • Home
  • Newswires
  • Politics & Society
  • The New Feudals
  • World View
  • Arts And Aesthetics
  • For The Record
  • About Us
  • Featured

Ministries Buy More Air Purifiers As Delhi Battles Toxic Air

Jan 29, 2020 | Pratirodh Bureau

FILE PHOTO: A man wearing a mask runs past the India Gate on a smoggy morning in New Delhi on October 28, 2019

India’s government has stepped up the purchase of air purifiers over the last two years, taking the number of devices in ministries to protect against deteriorating air quality to nearly 300, government data seen by Reuters showed.

Six union ministries – including health, foreign and home affairs – bought at least 159 air purifiers during 2018-2019 at a cost of 5 million rupees ($70,353), according to previously unpublished data obtained under a Right to Information (RTI) law.

That compares with at least 140 air purifiers bought for $55,000 during 2014-2017 for the six ministries and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office, as previously reported by Reuters. The latest data on purchases for Modi’s office was not available.

The purchases come as the union and city governments faced criticism for failing to address the problem of worsening air pollution, especially in the winter, and drew criticism from one activist.

“It’s absolutely criminal to spend taxpayers’ money in buying air purifiers for government officials,” said environmentalist Vimlendu Jha, who is a member of a government panel tasked with solving Delhi’s pollution crisis.

In November, the level of pollution in the capital forced authorities to shut schools, restrict the use of cars and declare a public health emergency.

A senior official at the environment ministry, which bears the most responsibility for tackling pollution, said there was no particular drive to buy purifiers to protect civil servants.

“The government is not spending a fortune by buying air purifiers. And it’s not that officials don’t get to inhale toxic air by confining themselves to their offices,” said the ministry official.

The six ministries and Modi’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

Air purifiers can cost up to nearly $1,000 and are too expensive for most Indians.

Per capita income in New Delhi, a city of more than 20 million, is about $400 a month and thousands of homeless people endure the cold and the toxic air while sleeping on the streets.

Reuters requested for data using the RTI law from the six ministries as it had comparable numbers previously reported in 2018. These were the ministries of foreign affairs, tourism, agriculture, health, home affairs and the federal think-tank Niti Aayog.

Of the total of 159 devices bought by the ministries, the home affairs ministry topped the list with 103 of them in 2018 and 2019, the data showed.

“All the air purifiers have been installed in various offices/rooms of this ministry,” the ministry said in its RTI response, adding the amount spent was 3.1 million rupees ($43,619).

In October and November, when New Delhi saw some of its worst air pollution last year, the foreign ministry bought 12 purifiers. Four of them – bought for the minister’s office – were priced at nearly $1,000 each.

The federal health ministry bought 23 air purifiers in the last two years, including 14 in 2019, its highest annual purchases since 2015, the data showed.

Tags: Air purifiers, deteriorating air quality, Indian ministries, New Delhi, Niti Aayog, Pratirodh, prime minister narendra modi, Right to Information law, RTI

Continue Reading

Previous New Coronavirus: What Is It & How Does It Behave?
Next No Hot Meals, Blankets As Airlines Step Up Fight On Virus

More Stories

  • Featured

Can We Trust Machines Doing The News?

9 hours ago Pratirodh Bureau
  • Featured

Olive Ridley Turtle Nesting Site In Konkan Faces New Threat

10 hours ago Pratirodh Bureau
  • Featured

Petty Politics Of Petty Men: Kapil Sibal’s Swipe At Govt

16 hours ago Pratirodh Bureau

Recent Posts

  • Can We Trust Machines Doing The News?
  • Olive Ridley Turtle Nesting Site In Konkan Faces New Threat
  • Petty Politics Of Petty Men: Kapil Sibal’s Swipe At Govt
  • Since Musk Took Over, Antisemitism On Twitter More Than Doubled
  • ‘Govt Is Scared Of Probe In Adani Case, Has No Reply To Rahul’s Questions’
  • India’s Heat Action Plans Fail To Identify, Target Vulnerable Groups: Report
  • WAC Bans Transgender Women From Female Athletics Events
  • Kharge Slams BJP, Asks Why Are They Pained If Fugitives Criticised
  • Elgar Parishad Case Accused Dr Hany Babu To Get Honorary Doctorate
  • The Mythical Saraswati Is A Subterranean Flow, Posits New Study
  • Will Challenge ‘Erroneous’ Judgment Against Rahul Gandhi: Congress
  • Calls For ‘Green’ Ramadan Revive Islam’s Ethic Of Sustainability
  • Huge Data Breach: Details Of 16.8 Cr Citizens, Defence Staff Leaked
  • Will Rahul Gandhi Be Disqualified As MP Now?
  • ‘Ganga, Brahmaputra Flows To Reduce Due To Global Warming’
  • Iraq War’s Damage To Public Trust Continues To Have Consequences
  • Sikh Community In MP Cities Protests Against Pro-Khalistan Elements
  • ‘Rahul Must Be Allowed To Speak In Parliament, Talks Can Follow’
  • 26% Of World Lacks Clean Drinking Water, 46% Sanitation: UN
  • ‘Severe Consequences’ Of Further Warming In Himalayas: IPCC

Search

Main Links

  • Home
  • Newswires
  • Politics & Society
  • The New Feudals
  • World View
  • Arts And Aesthetics
  • For The Record
  • About Us

Related Stroy

  • Featured

Can We Trust Machines Doing The News?

9 hours ago Pratirodh Bureau
  • Featured

Olive Ridley Turtle Nesting Site In Konkan Faces New Threat

10 hours ago Pratirodh Bureau
  • Featured

Petty Politics Of Petty Men: Kapil Sibal’s Swipe At Govt

16 hours ago Pratirodh Bureau
  • Featured

Since Musk Took Over, Antisemitism On Twitter More Than Doubled

17 hours ago Pratirodh Bureau
  • Featured

‘Govt Is Scared Of Probe In Adani Case, Has No Reply To Rahul’s Questions’

1 day ago Pratirodh Bureau

Recent Posts

  • Can We Trust Machines Doing The News?
  • Olive Ridley Turtle Nesting Site In Konkan Faces New Threat
  • Petty Politics Of Petty Men: Kapil Sibal’s Swipe At Govt
  • Since Musk Took Over, Antisemitism On Twitter More Than Doubled
  • ‘Govt Is Scared Of Probe In Adani Case, Has No Reply To Rahul’s Questions’
Copyright © All rights reserved. | CoverNews by AF themes.