With India having recorded the hottest March in 121 years, Science Minister, Jitendra Singh said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that “global warming” was to blame.
“One of the reasons for the rise in temperatures and increase in heatwaves is global warming, associated with the increase in greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. The global average temperature has risen by around 1°C since pre-industrial times. This magnitude and rate of warming cannot be explained by natural variations alone and must necessarily take into account changes due to human activities. Emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), aerosols and changes in land use and land cover during the industrial period have substantially altered the atmospheric composition, and consequently the planetary energy balance, and are thus primarily responsible for the present day climate change,” he said in a written response to a question by Sougata Ray.
