Opinion | Politicians Indulge In Blame Game As Delhi Becomes Gas Chamber Again

Last Updated:November 01, 2024, 17:49 IST

While our politicians are insouciant about the lethal effects of environmental degradation on people’s health, many among our intellectual elites too are not much concerned about air pollution

Against the backdrop of pollution levels in NCR peaking, frequently reaching ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories, the blame game continues. (Image: Getty)

High air pollution levels in Delhi in the earlier days of winter are among the inglorious certainties that the people of the national capital and surrounding areas are condemned to suffer every year. Other certainties include political blame game, a number of ad hoc measures (all ineffective), and a heavy toll on the health of millions of people.

So, a few days ago, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi held the farm fires in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, both under the Bharatiya Janata Party, responsible for the alarming levels of air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR). Her contention was that farm fires in Punjab, ruled by her Aam Aadmi Party, have declined sharply, but those in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have risen. On his part, BJP Delhi chief Virendra Sachdeva accused the AAP government of not properly responding to the pollution problem.

Against the backdrop of pollution levels in NCR peaking, frequently reaching ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories, the blame game continues. The culprits are well-known—low-wind speeds, dust arising from construction sites and other areas, vehicular pollution, smoke from garbage and stubble burning. These have been known for many years.

Politicians—at the Center and in states, in the ruling party and the Opposition—are aware of the factors contributing to foul air in winters. So, of course, do the bureaucrats at all levels. Judges keep castigating the authorities both of them. The Supreme Court recently said, “We will take the Union of India to task… It has not created any machinery. The Environmental Protection Act has become toothless. You have got rid of punishment and replaced it with a penalty by amending Section 15 and the procedure to be followed for imposing a penalty cannot be followed.”

It was responding to the statement of Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati who assured the court that the necessary rules would be finalized within 10 days and the Act would be fully enforced. The issue was the widespread stubble burning in neighboring states.

The apex court also slammed the Chief Secretaries of Punjab and Haryana, who were present. It said that their attempts to address burning crop fires as “superficial.” Earlier too, the court had rebuked the two states for failing to act against those flouting the ban on farm fires.

It looks like our political masters and bureaucrats have also become insolent. The only thing that excites our netas is emotive issues, most of which have nothing to do with our life and liberty—the issues like caste census, cow protection, “mohabbat ki dukan”, changing names of places, and shedding ‘colonial legacy. ‘ This is despite the fact that air pollution is seriously cutting life expectancy.

Delhi’s persistent air pollution is reducing the life expectancy of its residents, the latest Air Quality Life Index 2024 report said in August. In fact, it said, Delhi-NCR is one of the most polluted regions in the northern plains. The report by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) said that 1.8 crore people living in Delhi were likely to lose an average of 11.9 years of life expectancy, as compared to the World Health Organization’s guidelines.

While our politicians are insouciant about the lethal effects of environmental degradation on people’s health, many among our intellectual elites too are not much concerned about air pollution. In fact, they are more concerned about the ‘big picture’ than the local factors contributing to pollution. For the big picture is sexy; it is about ‘climate change,’ something that animates professional revolutionaries and cultural illuminati.

This brings us to a supreme irony—that of the hapless citizens of a rising power. India aspires to become a global leader, but its people are miserably vulnerable and defenseless against gray rhinos—highly probable risks with major impacts.

It is not that the national aspiration is groundless: India is the fastest growing major economy and is expected to remain so for some time; it has made immense progress in the last 33 years after liberalisation, resulting in the uplift of hundreds of millions of people from abject poverty; it has the potential and even the heft to emerge as a major player on the global stage; it has the entrepreneurial drive, scientific progress, technological brilliance, and youthful energy for explosive economic growth and development in the foreseeable future. And yet, citizens in the national capital are hapless and helpless.

All that the authorities are capable of offering are temporary measures. So, the alarming rise in air pollution has evoked Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), Stage II. These steps include a ban on the use of coal and firewood, including tandoors in hotels, restaurants, and open eateries, as well as on diesel generator sets, except for emergency and essential services.

Meanwhile politicians, whose favorite sport is blame game, continue to fight their word war.

The author is a freelance journalist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.