New Delhi, Nov 29 (PTI) Likening the air pollution situation in Delhi to “slow poison”, the Congress on Saturday said the government must hold discussions with all stakeholders on this “national problem” and even consider forming an MP-level committee to deal with the issue.
In a swipe at the BJP-AAP, the Congress also said governments will get lot of time to indulge in populist politics but if they will spend all the money on freebies there will not be funds for basic facilities.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, party leader Sandeep Dikshit said Delhi’s polluted air has crossed all limits and the current dire situation in Delhi is like “slow poison”.
Doctors also say that Delhi’s polluted air is shortening a normal person’s lifespan by 6 to 7 years, and that sick people are at an even greater risk, he said.
There are many causes of air pollution, but as citizens, we must question governments and hold them accountable for their actions, Dikshit said.
“Only a small portion of air pollution comes from stubble burning and firecrackers during Diwali. A little pollution is felt during the winter, but these are not the major causes. The major cause of air pollution is vehicular pollution, which continues year-round. This accounts for around 35 per cent,” he said.
Dikshit said the average person is suffering amid the accusations and counter-accusations between the BJP-AAP governments of Delhi and Punjab.
The people of Delhi are suffering under the governments’ deception, he said.
The government should control pollution, and if they are unable to do this, they have no right to be called a government, he said.
“All I have to say is this: stop misleading the public, because due to air pollution, this city is no longer habitable,” Dikshit said.
“When Delhi was developing, the average traffic speed was 35 to 40 kilometers per hour. Today, due to the government’s failure, traffic speeds have slowed. Road infrastructure is poor, and as a result, vehicular pollution levels have increased by two and a half times,” he claimed.
Public transport in Delhi has “collapsed” and today, the number of people travelling by bus has decreased, while the number of vehicles has increased, Dikshit said.
The question also arises as to why aren’t new metro routes being built in Delhi, he asked.
“Another major cause of pollution is industrial pollution, which uses dirty fuel. Illegal factories in Delhi cannot operate without the connivance of the MCD, police, and politicians,” he said.
When the then government removed many polluting industries in 2004-2005, why isn’t this government taking similar steps, the Congress leader asked.
He further said there are piles of garbage in Delhi and garbage is being burned at various locations.
This is also a cause of air pollution, he added.
“Previously, dustbins were installed in many places in Delhi, where waste was kept separately. The people of Delhi participated enthusiastically in this, but now everything is gone,” he said.
Many years ago, the technology of ‘waste to energy plant’ was introduced, but Arvind Kejriwal made a false claim that its smoke causes cancer, after which the plan was thrown into the dustbin, he claimed.
“I believe that the government must work seriously to address air pollution. The government should also discuss this issue with the public and take strong steps,” he said.
Dikshit said Rahul Gandhi has also urged the government to discuss this issue in Parliament.
“This is a national problem and the government should discuss this. I would demand that they should form a committee, probably at MP-level, and take all parties on board. I would also like to appeal to the Delhi Lieutenant Governor to get people together and do this as a people’s movement,” he said.
“Money should be invested on road infrastructure, bus system, and the metro. You will get enough time to do populist politics – if governments spend all funds for giving things free, there will not be finances for basic facilities,” Dikshit said.
Ahead of the Winter session of Parliament, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday had demanded a detailed discussion in the House on the issue of air pollution in the national capital as he questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this “health emergency”.
He also demanded a strict, enforceable action plan to tackle air pollution and asked why the Modi government was not showing any urgency or accountability on the issue.
Gandhi held an interaction with a group of mothers at his residence on the issue and shared a video of his conversation with them, with several of them raising concerns over the impact of pollution on the health of their children.
Delhi’s overall air quality remained in the very poor category on Saturday morning, with an AQI reading of 332.
This is marginally lower than Friday’s Air Quality Index (AQI), which stood at 369, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) 9 am bulletin data showed.
According to CPCB, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered good , 51-100 satisfactory , 101-200 moderate , 201-300 poor , 301-400 very poor , and 401-500 severe. PTI ASK ZMN
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