Congress MPs Move Adjournment Motion in Lok Sabha Over Rising Air Pollution

Congress MPs on Thursday moved Adjournment Motion notices in the Lok Sabha, demanding a discussion on the worsening air quality in Delhi-NCR and other parts of North India. The notices were submitted by Manickam Tagore, Manish Tewari, and Vijayakumar alias Vijay Vasanth, urging the Centre to declare air pollution a national health emergency.

In his notice to the Lok Sabha Secretary-General, Manickam Tagore criticised the government’s response, saying it had relied on advisories, committees, and slogans instead of a coordinated national strategy. He highlighted evidence linking pollution to increased risks of cancers, kidney disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, and metabolic illnesses like diabetes, calling on the government to treat air pollution as a national health priority.

Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to introduce the Health Security and National Security Cess Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha. The Bill proposes a cess on specified goods and processes to generate funds for national security and public health expenditure.

In other developments, the Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed legislation to levy higher excise duties on tobacco and related products once the GST compensation cess ends, while the Rajya Sabha adopted the Water Bill through a voice vote.

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