10 months too short to judge govt’s pollution control measures: BJP MP Manoj Tiwari
“Ten months cannot be the basis for any final assessment. Our work on pollution has just begun and will take at least two years,” Tiwari said. he said.
He said air pollution continues to be a serious problem for the national capital and claimed that the government has been working on the issue since day one.
In an interview to PTI Video, he said people need to trust the government, be patient and cooperate in the steps taken.
“Pollution cannot be reduced overnight. We request the people of Delhi to be patient and support the steps taken as this is only possible with public cooperation,” he said.
Delhi recorded significant improvement in air quality on Friday; The Air Quality Index (AQI) remained at 236, following which GRAP Stage 3 restrictions in the city were cancelled.
Giving a personal example, Tiwari said that he suffers from asthma and in previous years he had to stay outside Delhi for about 1.5 months due to severe pollution, but this year this difficult period lasted only 15-16 days. “This time the situation was there but only for 15-16 days. The rest of the time I stayed in Delhi with some discomfort.
“If a proper investigation is made, the situation is better than previous years, but we cannot make any claims yet,” he said.
Talking about the Aam Aadmi Party and its national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Tiwari said that allegations that pollution has worsened under the current government are based on political statements.
Pollution levels should be judged by measurable data, not political statements, he said, adding that air quality measurements are publicly available.
“AQI is a standard and anyone can check it on their mobile phone. This will not change with someone’s word or my denial,” he said.
He added that this year AQI has not gone above 415 under any circumstances, whereas in previous years it has been around 900. “Pollution cannot be evaluated by declarations, it must be seen by data.”
He also dismissed allegations that AQI data had been manipulated, calling them ‘entertaining’.
“Some people even said that AQI machines were tampered with. This is ridiculous because AQI is available on everyone’s mobile phone and anyone can check it,” Tiwari said.
He said the government’s intention to reduce pollution was clear and emphasized that electric mobility was being promoted as an essential measure.
“We focus on electric vehicles. More than 4 thousand buses have been converted to electric,” he said.
Steps are also being taken to move away from coal-based energy and ease traffic congestion, Tiwari added.
“We have converted the coal-based power plant at Okhla to gas and shifted it to Bawana. Eastern and western ring roads have been developed to divert trucks out of Delhi. UVR-2 has started and work is on on UVR-1 to reduce congestion,” he said.
On the Yamuna pollution issue, Tiwari added that continuous efforts are being made to clean the river and make it accessible to people.
“Earlier the Yamuna was not people-friendly. It has become buffalo-friendly, garbage-friendly and chemical-friendly. Now efforts are being made on a war footing to make it people-friendly,” he said.
He added that the Prime Minister was personally following the work.
He also argued that previous rules regarding tree removal caused difficulties even if it posed a danger to homes or blocked access.
“In the past, a tree could not be removed even if it endangered a house. This injustice was corrected and in return, more trees were planted,” he said.
Talking about the multi-engine government, Tiwari said that the government is still in its tenure.
“We have said that a government with two engines is like a train running on track. We are now getting Delhi on track. Give us two to two and a half years and we will make Delhi one of the most important cities in terms of ease of living and breathing,” he said.
