This article is part of our special series on Delhi Elections 2020 |
In 2014, when the World Health Organisation declared Delhi as the world’s worst polluted city, the national capital became the face of air pollution for India. Since then, Delhi has been branded as a “gas chamber” by its own ruling government. Courts have called out the Delhi government for committing “genocide,” allowing a public health emergency of such mass scale. Every year since then, from Diwali and stubble burning season till the end of winter, politicians announce a slew of measures which fail to address the root cause of the problem. In November 2019, Delhi government had to declare a public health emergency despite an announcement of 25% reduction in air pollution just weeks before that.
While the government’s measures are on-going, there is another stakeholder whose participation in this entire debate is crucial. According to Lancet Planetary Health, toxic air claimed 1.24 million lives in 2017 in India. That’s equivalent to 12.5% of total deaths recorded in the country that year. Air pollution is a collective fight, and therefore public engagement is paramount. In view of the same, United Residents Joint Action (URJA), the apex body of 2500 residential welfare associations in the capital, spearheaded this dialogue for the upcoming Assembly elections in Delhi.
In the lead-up to Delhi elections, URJA released the ‘People’s Green Manifesto 2020’, which presents 10 key demands of Delhiites to manage air, water and solid waste pollution in a manner that will make the city resource-wise and sustainable by 2025. The citizens manifesto provides solutions, roadmap and time-bound targets to achieve demands like 65% reduction in air pollution levels by 2025 to meet the national standards for safeguarding public health, 100% clean energy for all by 2050, with 25% by 2025, public transport for at least 80% of Delhi’s population, promote electric mobility with 50% EVs in new vehicle registrations by 2025, zero waste to landfills by 2025 and a common regional minimum air-shed programme in consultation with NCR states, among others. It is the first time ever that pollution has figured so prominently in citizen demands for Delhi elections.
While there’s hope that political parties will take note of these public demands, the buck stops at governance which focuses on Accountability, Review and Transparency. These three are the pillars of a democratic government and the People’s Green Manifesto focuses on all as a running theme. The newly elected Delhi government in 2020 should commit to local area planning and citizen monitoring to ensure government policies are relevant and implemented and government representatives are accessible to citizens.
Another proposed mechanism relates to the setting up of an ombudsman body of eminent citizens as an independent public grievance redressal mechanism to maintain citizen and government engagement and transparency. Establishing a public information and feedback mechanism between people and government, before plans are implemented, will ensure a successful collaboration with ownership.
BJP’s Delhi Sankalp Patra which was released last week proves that political parties are taking note that pollution cannot be ignored. The promise of “Swachh Delhi, Sundar Delhi” to provide a pollution-free city is a glittering start, but BJP’s reliance on large-scale and expensive air purification equipment as a solution makes the shine fade. While Indian National Congress has shown great commitment by promising 25% of the budget and a separate manifesto to environment, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party has left Delhiites wanting with a vague promise of reducing two-thirds of pollution in the city, in their 10 Promises Guarantee Card. AAP failed to make any mention of pollution as a keyword in their detailed manifesto which was released on April 4th.
Delhi’s ‘airpocalypse’ needs serious scientific effort to reduce emissions from the neighbouring thermal power plants, industrial air and water effluents, a strategic transport management plan which incorporates public transport, shift to e-mobility, policies to discourage public from owning multiple 4-wheelers. India’s growth aspirations are hollow if the national capital is sitting on mountains of garbage within the city limits, which is not only poisoning groundwater reserves, but also polluting the air.
Pollution has emerged as the biggest challenge of our times and a government that cares for the most vulnerable and the least equipped to protect themselves will lead the way to the Assembly. The spirit of one for all and all for one is of greatest urgency and relevance today that is also embodied in the People’s Green Manifesto 2020. Time for promising beginnings and political acknowledgments of issues like Pollution is past. Delhi demands a government with a vision for the city’s sustainable development and growth.
| Issues | People’s Green Manifesto | Aam Aadmi Party | Bharatiya Janata Party | Indian National Congress |
| Protect citizens from pollution and risks | • Ensure 65% reduction in air pollution
• Ensure air pollution doesn’t reach severe level in 2020 • Ward-level healthcare facilities for population vulnerable to pollution |
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| 100% Clean Electricity for All | • 24×7 supply and usage-based pricing
• Legislations for clean electricity • Cleaner conventional electricity in the interim • 25% pollution-free electricity by 2025 |
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| Public Transport for 80% population | • Deploy 15,000 buses by 2025; Remove old buses from the fleet
• Reduce pricing of public transport to shift commuters from private vehicles • Every neighborhood or commercial to be aided with fast & last mile connectivity to public • transport stations • Integrate all modes of public transport under one authority for coordinated planning • Pricing cheaper than private vehicle per km & introduce common smart card across all modes of public transport • Create commuter government review committee • Ensure public safety |
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| Decongest Delhi | • Ensure adequacy of public transport with 80% of trips to be through public transport
• Parking space management by RWAs and market association • Private ownership vehicle to reduce by 2025 • Scientific approach to design/ retrofitting of new/existing parking places • Adjust road design to incentivize public & nonmotorized transport, & make it pedestrian friendly • Comprehensive Mobility Plan to move maximum people rather than vehicles |
No promises | Dedicated cycle ways that will help 35% cycle-owner population of Delhi Multi-storey parking spaces; not clarified if it is for public transport or private vehicles. (EPCA recommends to reduce private vehicles rather than increase parking space for the) New scheme to build flyovers for de-congestion when Delhi ranks 8th in the world on congestion index with over 70 existing flyovers Safety of citizens in public areas, public transport and dark areas that will help to reduce private vehicle use |
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| Clean & smart 21st century vehicles | • 50% of EV in new vehicle registration by 2025
• All new government vehicles procured to be electric from 2020 • City-wide charging services and battery handling service • Incentives for EV owners • Regulators to enable DISCOMS, small and large vendors to offer battery recharge points • Used battery replacement centres in every assembly area for recycling/safe handling |
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| Roadmap for zero waste Delhi | • Zero waste system for the city
• Ward level plan for waste management with local targets for waste segregation at source, collection and disposal • All government building to be zero waste • Local waste management with public knowledge |
Clean and shining Delhi – Freedom from garbage and debris dumps for a clean and beautiful city |
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| Water security for all | • Ward level planning for wastewater recycling and ground water recharge
• System for zero wastewater loss and 100% rainwater recharge • Create groundwater sanctuaries & decentralized water reservoirs • Hefty penalty on for carrier on water transit loss and blackmarketing |
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None mentioned | None mentioned |
| Humane approach to city’s water bodies | • Dismantle defunct ITO barrage gates to enable free flow of river Yamuna
• Implement NGT orders for clean river water • Najafargh drain to be revived • Ensure proper functioning of all STPs & ETPs • Restore hygiene in flood plains & storm water drains with access to citizen for walkways, cycle track, leisure |
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None mentioned | None mentioned |
| Green, dust-free walkable city | • Protect, rejuvenate and build urban forests, greenbelts and wildlife sanctuary
• No felling of trees for infrastructure projects • Develop Ecology Masterplan for 2025 & 2041 • Establish a Walkway & Pedestrian Authority • Deploy road-dust cleaner |
More than 2 crore trees will be planted to make Delhi green |
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| Delhi and neighbours tackling pollution together | • Regional common minimum air-shed programme by neighboring states
• Coordination with thermal power plants in the air-shed for emission norms compliance • Regional shared water resources program for water quality, flow and contamination management • Inter-state coordination mechanism at the level of chief secretaries for swift decision making |
No promises | No promises |
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Source: URJA