Delhi Diary: India Walks A Tightrope On Air Pollution

By M.Santhiran M.Santhiran, Bernama's correspondent in New Delhi shares his take on India. NEW DELHI, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Paris to attend the Climate Change Summit this week, back home a serious debate has erupted following the revelation that 12 out of the 20 most polluted cities of the world are in India. The World Health Organisation's (WHO) disclosure sent environmentalists, the media and concerned citizens on the overdrive. While Malaysians back home were fuming when the Air Pollutant Index (API) breached 200 in October due to the haze from Indonesia, the people in New Delhi have been living with API readings breaching 400 for the past few weeks. Though the central and state governments acknowledged that drastic efforts have to be taken to overcome the 'severe' API readings, yet the lack of political will and policies on sustainable development are making life difficult for the average Indian. As usual New Delhi that comes under the state government ruled by the Amm Aadmi Party (AAP) and the union government led by Barathiya Janata Party (BJP) were at loggerheads on who should take lead in ensuring better quality of life for the more than 22 million people in the capital city and the National Capital Region (NCR). FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO POLLUTION It has been estimated nearly nine million registered vehicles are currently on the road in New Delhi, with about 1,400 new ones being registered each day. It has been estimated that a few hundred thousand lorries plying inter-state roads enter the city center each day to avoid high tolls imposed at the national highways. Rustic buses and lorries that number in thousands are often blamed for their role in polluting the air. According to Delhi police, they could not do much to catch the on the road polluters as they only have 5,000 traffic policemen on duty with their deployment overstretched whenever major events takes place in the capital. Even the Supreme Court of India has intervened by directing the state government of Delhi to impose much more stiffer 'fuel tax' on commercial vehicles entering city center. According to several environmental groups, back-up generators used at the commercial and industrial areas also significantly contribute to the current condition. Meanwhile, 52 percent of the power generated at power plants use "dirty coal" and the international community is likely put more pressure on Modi's government to opt for cleaner technology. AWARENESS AMONG GENERAL PUBLIC STILL LOW I enquired with some locals here on the air pollution and they admitted it was a major headache and there was no solution in sight. However, the pollution takes a back seat because the rising cost of living and lack of job opportunities are their immediate priorities. A lorry driver said when he used to work as a fruit seller his health was good. However, over the last five years he has been frequenting to the clinics at least twice a month due to respiratory problems. Another 49-year-old auto rickshaw driver said of late he has been spending more on medical bills. He said whenever he visited doctors, they repeatedly reminded him to spend less hours on the road to avoid inhaling the toxic fumes. However, he needs to work 12 hours a day to support his family. A motorcyclist, Pritip Kumar, 34, lamented that other than poor air quality, he also had to put up with heavy traffic. However, he admitted that the blame was on him for not opting himself to use the Metro Train System that is more comfortable, cheaper and less polluting. MORE PEOPLE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR RESPIRATORY COMPLICATIONS Meanwhile, the local media have been highlighting that with winter approaching, more and more people have been seeking treatment for respiratory complications. Doctors at public hospitals have been advising Delhiites to skip their morning and evening walks for the next few months. They have been urging residents to stay indoors and for commercial vehicle drivers, they were encouraged to undergo medical check-ups regularly as more areas in Delhi and NCR continue to record "severe" level API readings. NDTV, a leading news channel here is constantly carrying special reports urging the public to push policy makers to take urgent actions to handle the health crisis due to pollution. The channel and some other leading newspapers also play their part in creating better awareness among general public. For me, it has been difficult after enjoying fresh air for nearly two weeks when I was in Malaysia for the Deepavali break. -- BERNAMA