Chief minister Ashok Chavan has already directed his chauffeur to switch off the siren, and to avoid honking no matter how heavy the traffic jam.
In a bid to lead by example, the state government is sensitising drivers of politicians and bureaucrats before unveiling its green policy on noise and air pollution control.
Chief minister Ashok Chavan has already directed his chauffeur to switch off the siren, and to avoid honking no matter how heavy the traffic jam.
But the initiative does not stop with him. According to environment secretary Valsa Nair Singh, “On August 11, 500 drivers of cabinet ministers and bureaucrats will be roped in for a sensitisation programme on tackling noise and air pollution.”
The ministry of environment has prepared a special conduct guideline for these drivers, whose priorities until now have been to please their political masters by driving as fast as possible so that the leaders can keep up with their busy schedules. Singh said, “We want these drivers to become ambassadors of change in controlling noise and air pollution.
“If we can bring about a shift in the attitude of drivers of cabinet ministers and officers, it will send a positive message to the public.”
The environment department has also prepared a Marathi slogan for drivers: ‘Aapan Chalak Aho, Pradushan Vahak Nahi (We are drivers of vehicles, not carriers of pollution).’
The initiative is part of the state government’s environment policy centered on improving air quality in urban areas like Mumbai, Pune and Sholapur, where the concentration of suspended particle matter (spm) is as high as 70-160, the prescribed norm being 60.
A senior minister said, “We were also debating on whether we should get rid of sirens used in VIP vehicles with beacon lights. However, there was no consensus, and we had to abandon the idea.” It was then agreed that their use should be limited so that cabinet ministers are not accused of creating noise pollution while passing through silent zones.
The minister also revealed, “When travelling through rural areas, cabinet ministers often deliberately use loud sirens to display their political power, and it attracts attention of people throughout the journey.”
According to a senior officer in the chief minister’s office, “The lessons are also aimed at saving expensive fuel.
“Drivers often leave car engines running for almost 30 minutes to ensure that the leader finds the car go-ready the moment he steps inside the vehicle.
“But they don’t realise how much wastage and air pollution this leads to.”
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