US experts take part in meet to curb pollution

In a bid to help combat air pollution in India, the US policymakers, world-renowned scientists and industry experts are participating in a series of workshops, which began on Tuesday.

Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain and the US embassy charge d’affaires Michael P. Pelletier inaugurated the series of workshops, being organised by the Research Triangle Institute International, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. Besides Delhi, the workshops are being held in Chandigarh, Jaipur, and Lucknow, where a special closing ceremony will be held on May 26. “The objective of these workshops is to provide a forum to initiate and strengthen collaboration between the US and Indian air quality experts, consider best practices to combat air pollution in north India and build consensus and strategy for follow-on action,” an official statement issued by the US embassy said.

“Workshops will include presentations on the health effects of air pollution, impact on industry and their mitigation efforts, and air quality management and policy,” it added.

Inaugurating the workshop in New Delhi on Tuesday, Mr Pelletier said, “In our own experience in the United States, cities that formerly had a reputation of being polluted and dirty, have transformed themselves into clean urban centres.” “Just think of smog-laden Los Angeles in the 1960s and 70s and compare it to the much clearer skies you can experience there today to know what a difference well-executed action can make,” he added.