Parliament skips pollution debate, because you don’t care

The posters and masks were ripe with possibilities. It seemed that parliament would finally take pollution seriously. At least damage to the lungs will unite the treasury and opposition benches. Good news, they were united. They did converse. They had tea as well. Bad news, they never discussed pollution. Parliament was shut sine die. On a day when Delhi and the surrounding areas saw their worst Air Quality Index numbers.

Ideally, this should enrage us northerners. These winter months are the worst. While fog is a natural phenomenon, systemic decay has changed the air to unbreathable smog. Levels so toxic that they can send the asthmatic rushing to the hospital. Can reduce your life by a decade. I myself remember covering pollution stories almost like a ritual. In 2015, I remember Dr Naresh Trehan showing me the lungs of two people. A non-smoker from Delhi versus an occasional smoker from Himachal Pradesh. The Himachali lung was pink and pretty. The Delhi lung, rotten to the core.

We debated and discussed air purifiers, indoor plants, and the efficacy of stopgap political solutions like odd-even number cars plying on roads. And of course, the favourite whipping of the farmers in Punjab for burning parali—paddy stubble.

Government changed, not Delhi pollution

Ten years later, we have favourable governments for the Centre, from West UP to Haryana to Delhi. The government’s own data shows Punjab parali burning has gone down dramatically. And yet, Delhi’s pollution doesn’t show signs of ebbing.

Also Read: Delhi AQI nears 'severe' category at 384 as dense fog hits visibility

The problem was and always is a lack of political will. Because lungs don’t talk. At least not immediately. Lungs are not a political issue. At least not so far. This is the reason no pollution solution has been sincere. No conversation around it is effective.

Otherwise, the government should have, rightfully so, been cornered in parliament on pollution. It really had nothing to show. But what we got in return is a parliament that was adjourned sine die. Bonhomie of a kind we haven’t seen in a while. The customary tea session post-parliament happened for the first time in 18 months. This is when a nation waits to hear what its government has done, or not done, on the pollution front.

Half measures like graded action response

We are happy with half measures like graded action response called GRAP. Which means as directed by AQI, certain quick actions can be taken. The worst being GRAP 4. Directly linked to the highest levels of the Air Quality Index. In GRAP 4, construction will be shut, and old cars will not be allowed to run. And the funniest, Delhi won’t get to eat yummy Tandoori delicacies. And now, the hypocrisy. Barely metres away from the new parliament building is the under-construction new central secretariat. A sprawling government complex.

Also Read: As Delhi chokes on smog, China shares ‘Beijing model’ to cut air pollution

While you can be fined and premises sealed for violating construction norms, the government itself can operate with impunity. The work on the central secretariat continued in the heart of Delhi right under the nose of the administration. Why did this happen? Because you don’t care. Lungs don’t vote. Just like your end-of-life cars, lungs too make their absence felt during their early retirement. On a hospital bed. And even then, there could be many reasons attributed to this condition.

Why should politicians care?

And why should the politicians care? When we don’t! We were so quick to forget covid sufferings. The complete collapse of the healthcare infrastructure in this country. There were numerous stories of people squabbling over who inherits the property rather than fighting the good fight for justice and dignity.

Also Read: Air purifiers to be installed in 10,000 classrooms: Delhi education minister

Your dignity is flawed. Just like the government now claims the Air Quality Index is. They feel this method of calculating air quality is too western. And we need an Indian method. Yeah right. The Indianness of our air quality will have a suitable blend of hypocrisy along with the sulphur in the air.

This is a classic government move. When you cannot fix a problem, rig the solutions. GDP isn’t to our liking, change the calculation method. Similarly, if air pollution needs fixing, rig its monitoring.

So that perhaps the next year, pollution monitoring meters won’t have to be watered to irrigate a lie. To nurse a false reading. This will happen. As you don’t care.

Government’s unthinkable argument

And as if all this was not enough, a recent government statement in parliament says the unthinkable. There is no direct correlation between Air Quality Index and lung problems. Wow!

Doctors can shut down all lung centres and head for holidays. Dr Trehan’s display of the Delhi lung was perhaps fake news after all. That lung was black, perhaps because of the black deeds and not the air.

Also Read: Dense fog blankets north India; red alert issued for Delhi

I ask the government one simple question. If AQI has nothing to do with our lungs, why do we have the graded action plan linked to it? GRAP 1-2-3-4? Should this be done away with too? People would be only too happy. After all, all of Delhi would be able to carry on with their construction, eat tandoori chicken and tandoori roti.

I repeat, the government does not care because you don’t care. It is very easy for them to dub any anti-pollution protest as an "anti-national" agenda. Perhaps you should take your anti-national lungs and go to Pakistan. Wait, it’s polluted there too!

Why no presser by environment minister?

Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav hasn’t held a single press conference on North India’s pollution. Because you don’t care. He gave a highly insincere response at a private TV news channel event only because we have accorded him the luxury to do so. We have allowed ministers to get away with "we care for you more than anyone else" and "Congress ruled for 70 years".

How can we end this piece without mentioning the "Netaji Subhash Palace" fame Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. Who thinks AQI is a "type of temperature". Who uses AQI and IQ interchangeably in her sound reactions. Who calls watering pollution control metres as standard practice. Ms Gupta’s government has also learnt a few tricks from the Centre’s book. Their retort was "70 years of Congress". Rekha Gupta can at least cushion herself by blaming 15 years of Sheila Dikshit and 10 years of Kejriwal.

Also Read: No conclusive link between high AQI and lung diseases: Govt

Well Delhi, in deep admiration of your tolerance and patience, I present the following picture in front of you. You wake up, pull the curtains. To find a beautiful sparrow doing a "how do you do" number in your balcony. Lush greens in the neighbourhood appear in sharp contrast to the rich blue colour tone of the sky, as puffed isolated clouds are filled with the promise of the little pitter-patter in the afternoon. Sounds romantic right?

2025 + 15 + 10 = 2050. Surely your lungs can wait till then. For now, let our netas enjoy their tea.

(The Federal seeks to present views and opinions from all sides of the spectrum. The information, ideas or opinions in the articles are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Federal.)