New Delhi [India], November 25 : Air pollution is a serious concern, especially for those who spend time outdoors, said German Ambassador Philipp Ackermann on Delhi's air pollution on Monday.
He spoke toon the sidelines of an event at the German Embassy here organised on the occasion of 50 years of Indo-German science and technology cooperation.
"Everybody who lives here, I am very concerned about the air quality. I think we have to be very honest that it's unacceptable... less for us because we sit in offices with filtered air and more for the people who spend their days in the street, the rickshapullers or street vendors, I mean, they have really the big problem and they will suffer from air pollution," he said.
"In cities like Nagpur and Surat, Germany is trying to build up capacity and training and development for the municipal administration to improve the air," he added.
He said Delhi faces a severe air pollution problem due to various sources such as garbage burning, thermal power plants, and stubble burning. "The government acknowledges the challenge and is working to address it. Collective efforts are necessary to combat this complex issue," he added.
India and Germany are strengthening their partnership for green and sustainable development and working to find new ways to reduce carbon emissions, the German envoy noted on Monday.
"There's the partnership for green and sustainable development between India and Germany which is a well-funded partnership where we spend more than a billion Euros a year on common projects in India. Tonight we are talking about scientific cooperation, how Germany and India can scientifically cooperate and try to find new ways and means to invest in renewables to find new techniques and new ways of reducing carbon emissions. And that's very important. We will celebrate tonight 50 years of Indo-German scientific operation, which is a huge achievement we are very proud of," he said.
Notably, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was on a visit to India last month. This was Scholz's third visit to India since he became Chancellor in 2021.
Last year, he visited India twice - for a bilateral state visit in February and to attend the G20 Leaders' Summit in September.
During his visit, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the growing cooperation between India and Germany in the defence and security sectors, citing it as a symbol of their deep mutual trust.
After meeting with PM Modi, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called India an "anchor of peace and stability" in South Asia, adding that Berlin supports New Delhi's stand on peace and stability in the region.
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