Delhi: A gas chamber filled with lethal gases

Once again, Delhi is reeling under severe spell of air pollution. The entire city is covered with dust and lethal gases but all the government agencies are silent over the issue. Surprisingly, the Prime Minister tells that exercise and walking are key to good and active life. On the contrary, all the doctors and experts tell unanimously that exercise and walking in polluted air do more harm than any good.

The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology has advised people to keep their windows shut, avoid ‘fresh air’ in air conditioning, avoid taking a walk, and refrain from burning anything, including incense sticks. The Guardian reports that “Indian state and central governments are impotent in the face of the crisis. There is a sense of hopelessness combined with helplessness.” But the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, seemingly unwilling to claim ownership of such a challenging issue, is yet to comment.

The air pollution in Delhi and surrounding areas has deteriorated to extremely hazardous levels, the worst in four years, as strong wind from arid regions in the west are showering dust particles over the capital, but the situation is likely to start improving in a day. The Weather Office says northern India usually gets very dusty at this time of the year before monsoon rainfall clears the air, but this year’s pollution level is the worst in four years.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) only informs about the air quality without any control measures. The CPCB and other related agencies always tell that high pollution level is due to wind direction, and velocity and would persist for five days and then situation would improve. In such situation, what is the use of organizations like CPCB, and where is the control of pollution? Whenever control aspect is discussed, CPCB talks about inadequate monitoring network and lack of monitoring equipment. Now it is planning to use satellite images for tracking of pollution.

Till two years back, China and India were most polluted countries in the world. However, China accepted the problem and curtailed air pollution by upto 30% in cities. On the other hand, the Government of India never accepts the problem itself. On the contrary, we feel proud in our 5,000 years old tradition of environmental protection, chant “Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam” at every possible forum and reject outright any report telling about severe environmental problem in India.

Whenever the Courts tell to formulate action plans for pollution control, the government agencies come up with rubbish plans like Graded Response System and Clean Cities Plans without any impact on the air quality.

Recently, Great Britain has formulated a detailed action plan to curtail air pollution and India has also formulated an action plan. The British plan seems like a scientific plan and Indian plan is merely a compilation of standards and older plans. All Indian plans have one critical common aspect – they always tell about what to do after pollution has reached a certain level, but never tell about how to maintain a low or no pollution situations.

It is not unusual that the country is reeling under air pollution for the past three decades without any result, the people are dying and the Prime Minister exhibits his fitness in public.