In the cramped alleys of Anna Nagar under the Jangpura assembly constituency, 65-year-old Brinda is in a fix about which party is offering more financial assistance. “Is AAP giving Rs 2,500? Or is it BJP? How much is the Congress giving?”
This election is unlike any other in Delhi, with the three major parties competing for votes with promises of direct cash transfers, subsidies and other welfare schemes. Amid the battle of freebies, the debate on air pollution has either been neglected or pushed to the periphery.
Delhi last year breathed poor or worse air for 155 days. (One of the reasons why Newslaundry launched the #FightToBreathe.) But of the three major parties, only the BJP has promised substantial reduction in air pollution and mentioned how it plans to do it. The AAP’s manifesto is silent on the issue while the Congress’s blueprint lacks in details.
Let’s take a look.
AAP leaves out air pollution
AAP convener and former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on January 27 released a one-page “Kejriwal’s guarantee”. The manifesto talked about 15 “guarantees”, including financial assistance of Rs 2,100 for women. But making Delhi’s air cleaner was not one of them. In his 17-minute speech at the party headquarters, Kejriwal did not utter a single word on air pollution.
This was not the case in 2020. Reducing air pollution was one of the 10 “guarantees of Kejriwal”. He had, in fact, promised to bring down air pollution by “a third”.
In this election, Kejriwal has repeatedly conceded that he could not fulfill three guarantees: the Yamuna clean-up, 24*7 drinking water supply and world standard roads. But he has failed to fulfil a fourth – the guarantee for clean air – which he rarely touches upon in his public speeches.
Asked about air pollution, most AAP leaders point fingers at neighbouring states, saying that it’s a regional problem. “If we have to solve the pollution of Delhi or the entire NCR or north India region, all states have to come together. I think it’s time that we start asking the central government questions,” Delhi CM Atishi told Newslaundry in a recent interview. She counted the increasing electric bus fleet and higher share of electric private vehicles as her government’s achievements.
BJP promises 50% drop
The BJP on January 25 released the third and final part of its “Viksit Delhi, Sankalp Patra 2025” containing 23 chapters. Air pollution is covered under the last chapter – “Clean and Green Delhi”.
The BJP has vowed to reduce PM2.5 and PM10 levels by half in the next five years if it is voted to power after a gap of 27 years.
“We will launch the Delhi Clean Air Mission to halve Delhi’s average AQI by 2030 and reduce the number of days with poor AQI. Our target is to reduce PM2.5 and PM10 levels by 50 percent,” read the document.
Under the mission, the BJP said it will deploy road-sweeping machines in every assembly constituency and water-sprinkling machines in every municipal ward. The party promised to deploy more such machines in highly polluted areas such as “Anand Vihar, Mundka, RK Puram” etc.
Other measures to control air pollution include installing air purifying devices, called WAYU, at key intersections and roads; incentivising transition of 50 percent vehicles to electric or CNG; and developing green belts and improving tree cover.
Congress’ stress on ease of breathing but little in manifesto
Releasing the Congress’ manifesto at the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee office on January 29, party’s communication in-charge Jairam Ramesh emphasised the significance of ease of breathing over ease of doing business.
“It’s not ease of doing business but ease of breathing that is important (in Delhi). We have to make it easier for (people) to breathe… If you see any index, Delhi is at the top in pollution and contamination.”
Ramesh blamed the BJP-led Central and AAP’s Delhi governments for not giving pollution and contamination the attention they deserve.
The party’s manifesto, comprising 22 chapters, has summed up its promises to rid Delhi of air pollution in three bullet points. The 18th chapter – titled “Air, Water and Ground Pollution” – said that the party would impose penalties on those burning garbage if it comes to power.
Other measures suggested by the Congress include clearing construction material from roads to control dust and developing parks. It also promised to provide relief to unorganised sector workers who are affected due to the Graded Response Action Plan under which construction and other such activities are banned when pollution reaches a certain threshold.
Newslaundry, along with its panel of experts, has come up with a 12-point manifesto for a liveable Delhi under the #FightToBreathe campaign. Read it here. And here’s how you can join the campaign.
Newslaundry is a reader-supported, ad-free, independent news outlet based out of New Delhi. Support their journalism, here.
