As Delhi’s pollution situation is predicted to worsen further, Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Friday urged his Union counterpart to take a more active role in addressing the issue. Rai emphasized that the problem extends beyond Delhi, affecting the entirety of North India. He also defended Delhi’s Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, against accusations from the Bharatiya Janata Party, stating that Kejriwal is not responsible for the poor air quality in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Rai’s comments came during a press conference held after a meeting today, where he called for increased proactivity from the Union Environment Ministry.