By: Vijay Kumar Verma ( Editor-ICN Group )
Every year the NGT suddenly wakes up to reprimand various concerned governments to take steps to control or atleast contain the causes of pollution.
The onset of winters in Delhi NCR every year leads to higher levels of pollution leading to umpteen smog related problems like poor visibility, increase in bronchitis diseases, highway accidents, delayed trains, flights, forced school holidays and what not. Every year the National Green Tribunal suddenly wakes up to reprimand various concerned governments to take steps to control or atleast contain the causes of pollution.
Blame games apart the governments also edge to take political advantage out out of it Early this year the Delhi government under section 31 A of Air Pollution (Prevention and Control of Pollution ) Act 1981, had decided to keep the 705 MW Badarpur Thermal Power Plant located at the border of Delhi and Faridabad shut. The plant was said to be one of the major contributors to the pollution in Delhi. But did the decision bring any respite to the people? Obviously not. Because the short term and stop gap steps cannot bring lasting results.
Established and operated by NTPC limited over four decades ago and once the prestigious lifeline of power supply to Delhi, the power plant is already on the verge of closure wit out dated machinery and mechanism. The plant was alleged to be disturbing the air quality of the national capital. The Delhi government’s decision is at the behest of Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) which spelled its death knell over umpteen meetings.
It is said that the plant had failed to meet the prescribed standards of particulate matter in the air at 50 mg/Nm3. The slow death sentence had been affected in parts. First the closure of 3 units of 95 MW each followed by two units of 210 MW each, one by one.
Constructed, commissioned and operated by central PSU, NTPC Limited in early 70s, it had been located in the outskirts of Delhi so that it does not affect air quality of the elite Delhites. The plant is still there but the burgeoning Delhi has skirted it all around.
The situation reminds of an old film “Mandi” where the red light area is shifted outside the city and gradually the city grows around that area and the red light area is again demanded to be shifted elsewhere.
The Delhi governments have always believed in short cut measures instead of developing a road map of a Futuristic city. When the air quality is disturbed by vehicular traffic, curb the movement of commercial vehicle within the city, then curb 15 years old vehicles and then resort to even odd formula, shut down industrial units which also leads to employment issues like lay offs and then…. God knows what.
As a TV commercial of a Paint company too reflects, “India is a country under construction, dust is bound to be raised”. But alas the successive governments either do not know how to keep their homes clean or there is a lack of will power to enforce laws.
