New Delhi, Former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday demanded that the central government immediately remove 18 per cent GST imposed on air and water purifiers, in view of the worsening air quality in Delhi-NCR.In a post on X in Hindi, he stressed that clean air and clean water are the basic rights of every citizen.”In Delhi and across North India, the air has become deadly. Instead of providing solutions, the government is collecting more taxes from the public,” he said in the post.He further pointed that when people go to buy air purifiers to protect their families from pollution, they find that the government is charging 18 per cent GST on them, which is outright injustice.The former AAP supremo demanded that the Centre immediately remove the GST imposed on air and water purifiers. “If you cannot provide solutions, at least stop burdening the pockets of the people,” he added.The air quality is likely to remain ‘very poor’ over the coming week, according to the forecast by the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi.With Delhi’s air quality slipping into the ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories this winter, doctors have stressed the need for regular diagnostic screening to detect early signs of pollution-linked health deterioration, especially among smokers, asthma patients, children and people with pre-existing cardiac or respiratory conditions. PTI
