The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a fine of Rs. 25 crore on Delhi government led by Arvind Kejriwal for not following its order to close at least 51,000 industries operating in non-conforming areas across Delhi.
The NGT ordered the Kejriwal government to recover the amount from polluters and by deducting the salaries of Delhi Government officials responsible for checking the menace. It further said that if Delhi government fails to pay the fine, then it will have to pay a fine of Rs.10 crore per month.
NGT has imposed a fine of Rs.25 cr on Delhi Govt for failing to curb the problem of pollution in capital city. This is to be deducted from salary of Delhi Govt officials&ppl polluting environment. If Delhi Govt fails to pay the fine, it'll have to pay a fine of Rs.10 cr per month pic.twitter.com/40mcTfqHx0
— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2018
The NGT’s order came after the chief secretary of Delhi filed an affidavit in the court, “contents of which were found to be vague” by the NGT. The principal bench in its order said, “The compliance report submitted is just an eyewash. The Delhi government has not prosecuted even a single illegal industry nor has it named any industries running in non-conforming areas.”
The non-compliance of the NGT orders by Kejriwal government shows their non-seriousness as far as the rising amount of hazardous pollutants in the national capital is concerned. Nowadays the air pollution level in Delhi-NCR swings between “hazardous” and “very poor”. According to the guidelines as laid by the NGT and Central Pollution Control Board, the Air Quality Index gives an indication of the apparent air quality of the concerned region. Following scales determine the quality of air-an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered as ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’ and 401 and 500 is considered as “hazardous”.
Anand Vihar and R.K Puram areas of Delhi are no less than gas chambers. On Monday, Anand Vihar and RK Puram registered an Air Quality Index (AQI) of over 400 (PM10 at 10 AM) respectively. There are many reports which suggest that industries located in areas like Narela and Bhawana areas which emit a large amount of toxic smoke, increases the pollution level of Delhi and makes the life miserable.
The NGT’s fine reveals the inadequacy of the Delhi government in making efforts to check the dangerous pollution levels in the national capital. So far, Delhi government under Arvind Kejriwal has only come up with excuses or an arbitrary decision like odd-even to check the pollution in the capital and has failed to address the issue in a comprehensive manner. Hogwash like odd-even are the temporary means of pacifying people without achieving anything.
The air pollution in Delhi has reached at hazardous level but seasonal environmentalists seem to be sleeping because the Hindu festival Diwali is over. Now ‘environmentalists‘ do not appear concerned about the air pollution in Delhi. The current situation has also exposed the hashtag activism that made a scapegoat of Diwali for the smog. This also goes on to prove that the so called activism for environment is nothing but a systematic, devious anti-Hindu propaganda.
