DNA Edit: NGT’s push - The anti-pollution campaign has not borne fruit

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) deserves credit for one attribute: it never pulls punches, when it comes to combating pollution.

On Monday, it slapped a Rs 25-crore fine on the Delhi government for its failure to address the scourge. A bench headed by NGT chairperson asked the Aam Aadmi Party government to furnish a performance guarantee of Rs 25 crore with the apex pollution monitoring body, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

It held the government responsible for doing nothing concrete “except furnishing excuses and helplessness”. In a way, the signal from the NGT is clear. Even if pollution has gone off the media’s radar, its impact can scarcely be minimised.

One of the most baffling question of our times is why despite all the effort and several well-intended measures, the air quality in the national capital continues to be so poor. On Monday, the CPCB recorded an overall air quality index of 314, which falls under the ‘very poor’ category.

The green panel said that even after four-and-a-half years, pollution caused by unregulated handling of plastic, burning of leather, rubber, motor engine oil and waste continues unabated. While it is easy to hold governments liable for their slackness, it is also true that without citizens’ awareness and their active participation, no plan can succeed.

The reality is that anti-pollution steps have not been thought out to the end. Merely blaming farmers for burning stubble as the main reason for pollution, is too simplistic. The petition by two Delhi residents, which provoked the Rs 25 crore fine, proves that there are several reasons that trigger the capital’s toxic smog,  including the disposal of mountains of rubbish.

Clearly, until the government and its agencies get to the real root of the problems, Delhi’s hapless denizens would have no option but to take it lying down.