5 min readNov 14, 2023 09:52 AM IST
First published on: Nov 14, 2023 at 05:54 AM IST
The Greek playwright Euripides once wrote, “When one with honeyed words but evil mind persuades the mob, great woes befall the state.” The people of Delhi are realising this after trusting the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party. The Right to life, guaranteed under the Constitution, is under threat as the city and its surrounding areas are shrouded in a thick cloak of smog and other pollutants. The murky skyline is a cruel reminder that the AAP-led government in Delhi has no plan to tackle pollution, but offers a series of excuses.
The environmental and economic cost of unchecked pollution encompasses a large gamut of consequences, impacting everything from public health to productivity and investment potential.
The Arvind Kejriwal government has been promising to deliver clean, breathable air to the capital for years. But the Delhi CM’s words have been at odds with his actions. As with his “declared commitment” to clean the Yamuna, Kejriwal’s approach to combating air pollution lacks a long-term strategy. It’s true that addressing the problem requires a multi-pronged approach. But the Delhi government has never really shown adequate resolve or owned the issue. It has never given evidence of putting in place measures that can be implemented on a sustained basis. Kejriwal and his colleagues are more interested in making political statements.
The plans to implement the “odd-even” scheme have been put off for now. But the truth is, the scheme was never a magic wand to tackle pollution. Since 2015, when it was first implemented, road rationing has done little to bring about sustained improvement in air quality. Its enforcement has been inconsistent at best. It is another short-term, headline-grabbing measure. Without addressing the root causes of pollution, the quest for clean air remains elusive in Delhi.
In 2018, after the much-publicised “Clean Air Campaign”, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) slapped a fine of Rs 25 crore on the Delhi government for failing to curb the city’s air pollution. In 2020, the Yudh Pradushan Ke Virudh campaign, a plantation drive, was launched, again with much fanfare. A year later, the India, State of Forests Report 2021 stated that Delhi had lost forest cover for the first time in a decade – this at a time, when forest cover increased in most other states and Union Territories. Then came the promise of electric buses and the Switch Delhi campaign. But the slow pace of procurement derailed the project and Delhi is nowhere close to the March 2023 target of 2,000 electric buses.
The Delhi government has spent a significant amount of funds on ineffective measures. According to an RTI reply, in November 2021, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) spent over Rs 470 crore from 2015 to 2021 on various pollution control measures. This includes grants for battery-operated vehicles and e-rickshaws, the odd-even drive, maintenance of biogas plants, and the development of waste management facilities. The Delhi government has also collected over Rs 1.491 crore in the name of the environment compensation charge (ECC) since 2015. There is, however, no clarity on how these funds have been utilised and why almost half of the amount is unused. The Delhi government spent Rs 22.9 crore to install a smog tower at Connaught Place in August 2021. This was followed by an expenditure of Rs 5.58 crore on advertising the tower. But when the people of Delhi are gasping for air, the tower has become a mere unused relic. Both the cost and impact of the smog tower are questionable. The political leadership, by merely blaming the bureaucracy, cannot escape accountability for the lapse.
Besides long-term measures, dealing with air pollution demands an honest approach. However, denial and deflecting blame seem to be the AAP government’s core strategy. In 2021, Kejriwal blamed Punjab for 40 per cent of Delhi’s pollution. After AAP formed the government in Punjab in 2022, he said that Delhi’s pollution was caused by “a combination of factors, including vehicular emissions, dust, and stubble burning”. This year, he has gone a step ahead and said that Delhi’s pollution is “a national problem” and that Punjab should not be blamed for it. It’s clear that AAP leadership is neither interested in taking responsibility for its faults nor is it genuinely interested in addressing the problems. In Punjab, the party’s government has been unwilling to reach out to and work with the farmers to arrest stubble burning. In Delhi, the government has been slow to implement stricter emission standards for vehicles and industries. It has also been reluctant to crack down on illegal constructions and industrial activities that contribute to pollution. Steps like artificial rain are no solution in the long run.
As the metropolis grapples with a public health crisis, the administration needs to pivot from stopgap measures to holistic and sustained interventions. Collaborative efforts, stringent policies, robust enforcement, and innovative solutions are imperative to clean up Delhi’s air and restore the right to clean air for its citizens. India is emerging as a bright spot in the world economy. Nothing should be done to dent its image and bring down the country’s investment potential. Delhi deserves more than mere political posturing and hollow rhetoric.
It remains to be seen if the Kejriwal administration can recalibrate its approach and rise to the challenge.
The writer is an advocate at the Supreme Court and national spokesperson, Bharatiya Janata Party
The environmental and economic cost of unchecked pollution encompasses a large gamut of consequences, impacting everything from public health to productivity and investment potential. (PTI Photo) 
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