Delhi govt’s measures to tackle pollution are too little too late: Greenpeace -Governance Now

Delhi govt’s measures to tackle pollution are too little too late: Greenpeace

Ensuring the right to clean air requires a systematic national action plan with timelines, as well as measures to reduce pollution emissions from all key sectors, including power generation, industry, transport and agriculture

GN Bureau | November 7, 2016

#environment #clean air #gas chamber #crop burning #smog #Delhi choke #Delhi pollution #Delhi air #air pollution

As the Delhi government announced emergency measures to help citizens cope with the public health crisis of hazardous air pollution levels, Greenpeace India has reiterated the central demands of its ‘Clean Air Nation’ campaign:

A stronger national air quality index (NAQI) including health advisories and alert system for closure of polluting sources and industries to be triggered automatically.
Comprehensive and systematic national clean air action plan including all the sources of pollution i.e., biomass burning, industry, thermal power plants, transport, construction and demolition activities and fugitive dust emissions, etc.
Coordinated efforts between central and state governments.
Set targets for reducing inter-state pollution, including a compliance plan for meeting the new thermal power plant emission standards.
A set deadline for meeting the national air quality standards e.g. 5-year interim targets for reducing pollution levels in each state and city that doesn't currently comply.

“The measures announced by the Delhi government may bring some relief to some citizens, but this is frankly too little too late, and fails to address the problem in its entirety,” said Sunil Dahiya, Greenpeace India campaigner, adding, “Over the last 18 months, thousands of Greenpeace supporters have joined us in calling for a national action plan, and for infrastructure improvements. For instance, an effective NAQI would automatically trigger the issuing of a health advisory and the resultant closure of schools and offices, etc., instead of these measures only being announced after a series of consultations and cabinet meetings. Even now, the problem is really only being discussed in post-Diwali Delhi terms; the levels may have peaked this week, but they have been consistently high for months now. And although shutting down the Badarpur Thermal Power Plant is a welcome first move, how about applying the same logic to the other plants, and the pollution affecting the rest of the Indo-Gangetic Plain region? ”

Greenpeace India has previously released graphs and satellite imagery revealing how clearly pollution hotspots are mapped to thermal power plants all across the Indo-Gangetic plain, and a status assessment of the NAQI that illustrated a simple fact: Tackling India’s air pollution crisis and ensuring the right to clean air for all Indians requires an ambitious and systematic national action plan with targets and timelines, as well as measures to reduce air pollution emissions from all key polluting sectors, including power generation, industry, transport and agriculture.

“Air pollution has become an issue of life and death for our people. It is a matter of survival, each one of us needs to stand up and take a role. Pollution has to be the priority issue for all governments - polluted air does not recognise political boundaries of states and cities you live on, so neither must our efforts to clean it up,” added Umendra Dutt of Kheti Virasat Manch. “We need a comprehensive action plan to clean up the air across all our states: be it Haryana, Punjab or Bihar. Indeed, even the plan to clean up the air in the region can only really work if it includes action taken in all states.”

Read: IIT study has all answers to Delhi’s pollution woes

Comments

Other News

Here’s an I.D.E.A. for career growth and success

Success in today’s professional organisation is no longer solely determined by academic qualifications, technical expertise or years of experience. While these attributes do matter, organisations increasingly value individuals who demonstrate the right mindset and behavioural qualities. The ability

PM interacts with CEOs, founders of space startups

Prime minister Narendra Modi interacted with CEOs and Founders of 20 Space Startups at Seva Teerth on Friday. CEOs of leading companies in the space sector working in diverse fields ranging from building rockets and reusable semi-cryogenic launch vehicles, avionics, satelli

From one cow to a dairy business

In 2012, Anita Dash wasn`t dreaming of building a dairy brand. She wasn`t studying business models or planning market expansion. Like countless mothers across India, her focus was on something much simpler: giving her children a better future. At the time, her most valuable

Ethanol blending: The two sides of a story

India`s crude oil consumption is estimated to be around 88.5% imported from abroad. This one single figure is also responsible for why ethanol has become both an economic strategy and fuel policy at the same time. In an economy like India, which depends so heavily on foreign oil, any increase in internat

Food inflation: Not a macroeconomic statistic but a developmental indicator

India`s retail inflation shows a reassuring picture at first glance. According to the latest data, Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation edged up to 4.38% in June 2026 from 3.93% in May 2026, but continued to remain within the Reserve Bank of India`s (RBI) target band of 4% (+/- 2%). However, beneath this

Skin in the game or masterful market timing?

When a company founder opens their personal chequebook to buy shares in their own business, stock markets usually applaud. To the average retail investor, it feels like the ultimate vote of confidence, a sign that the people running the show have real skin in the game and believe brighter days are ahead.