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Journalism of Courage
M C Mehta, the lawyer whose petition on air pollution in Delhi triggered important Supreme Court orders — including the one to introduce CNG in public transport — welcomed the Delhi government’s decisions to curb pollution. But he said they failed to address the acute crisis in air quality that the capital has been witnessing the last few weeks.
“It is good to see the government taking steps to reduce number of vehicles; that should have been done many years ago. It is time people gave up some comfort for the larger good. But given the doubts about its practicality, some emergency measures would have helped far more in this acute crisis. Announcing that some decisions will be taken a month from now fails to address the immediate need,” Mehta told The Indian Express.
Also Read: Curbing Delhi pollution: The Big Question, How?
He said he had spoken to several doctors, parents and air pollution experts over the last week. “Everyone says the children and the elderly are particularly suffering. Doctors are very clear that reducing physical activity during acute air phases is crucial. So then why can’t the government close schools and colleges, or advise the elderly not to take morning walks on poor air days? That would immediately take a lot of vehicles off the road…,” he said.
Commenting on the decision to allow odd, even number cars on particular days, Mehta said this has proven to be successful in many countries. “Chile implemented it this year, while Paris, Mexico and Beijing have been doing it for years. So this is hardly an experiment; it has a proven track record to significantly reduce traffic,” said Mehta.
Read: What is more important, health or your car? You have to take a call: Ashish Khetan
Reiterating that it was time “a few sacrifice their comforts to save lives”, Mehta cautioned against these measures becoming “merely populist announcements” without enforcement.
“The law is wonderful, but to be successful, it needs strict enforcement. How do you ensure people do not make double number plates? How do you catch people with multiple cars and those who use different cars on each day?” he said.
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He said it was also time citizens showed cooperation. “Cities such as Atlanta have emergency alarms, (where) you have to stop your vehicle on the road and wait 2-3 hours till emission levels are controlled. If you can see air pollution as the emergency it has become, you should be willing to cooperate as a citizen. This attitude of citizens has come (about) because successive governments have been too liberal for years,” he said.
Read: Supreme Court takes steps to check air quality on its premises
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