Medical emergency in North India, need national response to pollution: Delhi CM Atishi

“Why is the Centre not declaring a national emergency on pollution… It is not Delhi that has faced a significant spell of pollution, it is all of North India…When there was a Covid pandemic, did different states impose different lockdowns… It was a national medical emergency and a national response came forward… When we ask questions about air pollution in Delhi, we make it seem like the problem is only in Delhi. I would go as far as saying that all of North India is facing a medical emergency,” Atishi said at The Indian Express Idea Exchange on Friday.

Questioning the response of the Centre, she said, “The Prime Minister is not even in the country… Seven states, more than one-third of the country is facing a medical emergency. Forget coming back to India, he doesn’t even feel the need to make a statement about it. The Environment Minister of the country – no statement, no press conference… What is the national government doing? Why are they not taking action?”

Asked about action taken by the Delhi government, she cited its decision to shut all thermal power plants, induct electric buses, and industries exclusively using piped natural gas.

“I actually believe we have been very successful. If you were to see multiple studies – one done by CSE a few years ago, one done by IIT-Delhi recently, they show local pollution in Delhi has decreased… Delhi has no thermal power plant but NCR – Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana – have 11 highly-polluting thermal power plants. That pollution is going to come to Delhi, so it is not enough for Delhi to shut down its thermal power plants…”

“Delhi acting on its own, even when we reduce the pollution, is not going to be enough… I want to challenge the Central government to name one thing they have done to stop stubble burning – which pollutes this entire stretch of North India in winter,” she said.

Asked about Delhi’s local sources of pollution, the CM said, “Yes, there is pollution, yes there is vehicular pollution in Delhi, yes there is construction and demolition pollution, but this pollution exists the whole year round. It is not as if the number of vehicles increases (in winter)… the number of trucks entering Delhi increases… The only thing that changes at this time of year is stubble burning…”

“In the current year, if you were to look at the (ICAR) data, Madhya Pradesh has overtaken Punjab in stubble burning… It is happening in Haryana, in Uttar Pradesh, in Rajasthan… Surely a national problem requires a national response,” she added.