NGOs `rally’ support for fight against pollution

DECEMBER 20: Though the white banners and clothes were conspicuous by their absence, hundreds of people turned out on the streets of south...

DECEMBER 20: Though the white banners and clothes were conspicuous by their absence, hundreds of people turned out on the streets of south Mumbai today during a motor vehicle rally by a group of NGOs in their drive against air pollution. The motorcade of 40 cars, motorbikes, CNG taxis and buses organised by the Western India Automobile Association (WIAA) was flagged off by Transport Commissioner Vinay Mohan Lal and recieved half-way at Worli by the Sacred Hearts School Band brought by the Worli Citizen’s Group and Dignity Foundation.

Members of the Citizens Forum for Protection of Public Spaces (CFPPS), who number over a lakh, turned out in large numbers at Marine Drive and Babulnath after which the crowd started thinning out. At the Mahim Nature Park, where the rally ended, a crowd of more than 350 people had assembled.

The NGOs’ group had asked people to hang something white – be it a sheet, towel or paper — outside their balconies to express support for the drive. However, residents of houses in the area — from Nariman Point via Dadar and Dharavi to the Mahim Nature Park — did not seem very enthusiastic about the appeal.

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Zinnia Khajotia, convenor, Clean Air, said, “Though the response was encouraging, a lot more needs to be done to get ordinary citizens involved.”

Nandakumar Moghe, co-president, Mahim Nature Park, stressed the need to green the city and plant pollution-controlling trees. He said each person should plant at least 10 saplings each to get the desired effect. He added that at present there is just about one tree per 10 persons and the city required at least 14 crore more trees.

Trnasport secretary Suresh Chandra emphasised it was not possible for the government alone to resolve the pollution problem without help of citizens. The people, he said, should sustain campaigns such as this irrespective of who headed the government or NGOs.

The NGOs presented the Citizens Charter for Clean Air at the park. Among other things, it demands emissions of vehicles should not exceed the 30 hartridge level, improvement of fuel quality, phasing out of commerical vehicles more than 15 years old and annual fitness certificate of commercial vehicles to be issued after strict verification of fitness.

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It also demands that pollution control equipment like catalyctic convertors and CNG kits should be free from import duty, sales tax and octroi, a weekly announcement by the government of the quality of air in every locality, strict implementation of directions and orders by the High Court, introduction of pollution tax in the city, enforcement of the legislated `Air Act’ and flying squads to check emmission norms in every municipal ward.