With Delhi’s air quality plunging to hazardous levels, the health of its most vulnerable population is at severe risk. In this interview,Akshay Heblikar, Director of Eco-Watch along with OneIndia Anchor Riya discusses accountability, and solutions of this crisis situation.The conversation dives deep into what citizens and the government can do to tackle the air pollution crisis and protect Delhi's future.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Hello and welcome. You're watching One India. I'm your host Rhea and today we are focusing on a
00:04crisis that has affected every resident of Delhi. The dangerous rise in air pollution level. As the
00:11AQI climbs to hazardous level, the consequences for public health, the environment and the quality
00:18of life in the capital are becoming increasingly severe. The situation demands urgent action and
00:25accountability but again many questions remain about who is responsible and what measures can
00:31be taken to elevate the crisis. And to talk on same we are joined by Mr. Akshay who is the
00:38director of Eco Watch which is an environmental organization dedicated to sustainable development
00:44and ecological preservation. Welcome Akshay. Welcome to One India and thank you so very
00:50much for taking your time out and joining us today on One India. Thank you so much for having
00:56me over. Akshay to start, can you give us an overview of the Delhi's current air quality
01:03situation, how bad it has become and what are the main contributors to this hazardous AQI level?
01:11Well, see this is the state of most of the cities in India and even across the world.
01:18But since this is, I mean, it's being specific to the Delhi and NCR. Well, it's all in the news,
01:29everyone knows that the AQI has reached almost very poor category. I mean, so on a index of
01:380 to 400 which has to be somewhere between 70, 75 or 80 at the max, it has reached
01:45385. I think it has also gone to 400 in some parts of Delhi which is extremely
01:55threatening. It is, I mean, I think people have to stay indoors if at all they have to
02:02live healthily or if they have to even survive because they cannot be exposed to
02:06such air quality especially not the children, elderly women. I mean, nobody should be exposed
02:13to such air quality. So most of the places are somewhere between 200 and 250. I think last
02:22two days we have seen that the air quality has shot up to almost more than 350 and in some places
02:28it has gone to 350, 380, 390. So this is definitely a very grim situation, not just grim, I think this
02:38is a very dangerous situation which we are in and if you really look at what the causes are.
02:46First of all, I mean, Delhi has so many vehicles more than about one and a half crore vehicles
02:51that are flying on the roads of Delhi though with the odd even numbers, that system
02:57which has been working. Of course, it has been contributing to reducing the emission levels
03:04but there are industries that are spewing out emissions, a lot of construction activity
03:11or many huge amount of construction that is taking place, be it for residential infrastructure,
03:19whether it is for industrial purposes. Of course, there is a lot of dust even during the construction
03:24and one more major thing that is the stubble burning which is around Delhi, that's Punjab,
03:32Haryana, Chandigarh. I think this is also contributing a lot to the air pollution
03:39in Delhi, in and around Delhi, the NCR area. So this has to be addressed immediately but I mean,
03:47you cannot, I know, I mean, things cannot happen or change overnight but it is a continuous and
03:53a concentrated effort that we have to see whether it is by the government. I mean, you can't always
03:58say the government has to do this and do that. I mean, it is for even the individuals or the
04:03citizens also to stick to certain things, maybe using public transport, you know,
04:09basically to reduce your carbon footprint. Will it not be right to say that, you know,
04:18the pollution is in the atmosphere throughout the year but it becomes more visible as the
04:24winter approaches and it looks like that people of Delhi NCR but like lives in the gas chambers,
04:32if we see it from, you know, the outside. Will it be wrong to say that?
04:39No, see, during between October and December, in the winters, you see that the air is actually
04:47heavy. So even the pollution levels, even though it is almost the same throughout the year,
04:55due to the heaviness, you know, even the air is so heavy during winters, it starts settling down.
05:02So that's why you see the smog also, the smog that is blanketing almost entire Delhi today
05:10is also because the air is heavier and then it brings down these pollution, you know, the pollutants
05:16in the air which otherwise if the air is lighter then it is slightly at a higher altitude. But
05:23since in the winters because of the heaviness in the air, the pollutants are also brought down
05:31to a considerable level and so that is why we feel that you are directly exposed to this.
05:37Like when you start breathing, you have difficulty in breathing, you have a lot of
05:40respiratory ailments and especially during winters you see this. So that's the reason
05:46that we feel that suddenly it has gone up, it has been there but you're not
05:50exposed to it directly because it is at a higher altitude. So like you said, yes, during winters
05:57we feel that we are in a gas chamber. So especially smog which is the
06:03combination of the smoke and the fog during winters, this is not just the visibility but even
06:10breathing becomes so difficult especially for children and those who already have some kind
06:17of respiratory ailments, they find it even more difficult and they are the first ones to
06:23be affected. So that's the reason why we see this kind of blanket of smog during winters.
06:30So Akshay, in your opinion who should be held accountable for this ongoing crisis because
06:37year after year we are seeing the same situation, nothing is being done. Is it the responsibility
06:41of the government or the industry or the individuals? Like who can be held responsible
06:47for the situation that the Delhi NCR people are right in? See in a way all of us are responsible,
06:57we are contributing, each one of us are individually or collectively contributing
07:04to this situation, not just in Delhi, even across the country itself in some of the major
07:10metros, we are seeing the same issues. So you cannot just pinpoint and say the government
07:17is responsible, the industries are responsible, we need industries, we need employment, we need
07:22economic growth and development also, we need infrastructure. So the government has to carry
07:28implement these projects. So it is not that you cannot pinpoint or you cannot just blame any one
07:35entity, it is because of all of us. For example, if the government is really strict about implementing
07:42these rules and regulations, people will also adhere to it, people will stick to these rules
07:48and regulations, they will also follow the orders from the government. So there is a latch from the
07:53government but as individuals, we have to stay, if we have to live a healthy life then we also have
07:59to contribute towards it. For example, we need not have so many vehicles flying on the roads.
08:06Yes, it takes a little effort for each one of us to use public transport but then
08:11you will have to in the larger interest of ourselves, our family, our society, our city,
08:18we will have to take these measures, we will have to go that extra mile or take those
08:25few additional steps to see that we also take part in reducing the carbon footprint.
08:31Well, the industries also will have to stick to the emission norms, I mean, there might be
08:37sometimes because of the laxity from the government because they have neglected
08:43or they have not taken strict measures to cut down air pollution levels of carbon or
08:49the oxides of sulfur or nitrogen coming from the industries. So if they were very
08:55strict then the industries would have also stuck to it but at the same time, the industries will
09:01also have to maintain some kind of discipline if they also have to contribute towards the
09:08positive or constructive development of the society because if people are not healthy
09:15then who's going to live and buy their products. So, the industries also should think about
09:23having self-discipline in regulating their emission standards or emission levels. So,
09:28I feel all of us are responsible in our own ways and we all have to collectively address this
09:35problem. Right, truly said, truly said. So, having said that and just wanted to add one
09:41point to what you just said that we are also responsible for the upcoming generation like
09:45the generation after us, it's not just us living on the planet then of course, there's a whole
09:52the child they'll grow and probably later they will be living in if not, if the action is not
09:58taken today they'll be living in the worst situation than what we are living in right now.
10:02Having said that, do you think that there are specific policies or regulation
10:09that could be used or put in work can be effective now?
10:16See, it is already there in black and white. We have the like for example, air pollution,
10:24there are rules and regulations under the pollution control board whether it is the
10:28state pollution control board or the central pollution control board. They have the air
10:32pollution control act is there, the water pollution and prevention of water pollution,
10:37those acts are there, noise pollution is there and there are different standards,
10:44there are different emission levels or standards permissible limits which we call
10:51like in residential areas, this is the noise level, this is the air quality, this is the
10:56water quality of course, is the same across because it is drinking water quality,
11:02it will remain the same but still there are rules, regulations, policies which are very clear
11:10with the government especially with the pollution control boards. So, these have only to be
11:16implemented, they have to be strictly enforced not just on paper, they will say that yes,
11:23we have all these rules and norms or regulations are there but who is enforcing it and who is
11:28actually overseeing whether it is being actually obeyed, are the people, maybe whether it is
11:36industries, see even transport sector, the government itself has a huge fleet of buses.
11:42So, they themselves are also responsible but having said that the government cannot monitor
11:49each and every unit or entity. So, they have the pollution control board which has to take
11:54care of this, there are other regional offices across the state, across the, whether it is in
12:01metros, whether it is in the smaller tier 2, tier 3 cities. So, there are different agencies like
12:07the regional offices of the pollution control boards, they are responsible in monitoring and
12:13maintaining the emission levels or standards as per the permissible limits across different
12:19categories be it residential, industrial, agriculture. So, there are rules and regulations,
12:27there are laws, there are policies, there are acts but only thing is it is not being strictly
12:32enforced, implemented. So, this is where we lack. So, that is the problem, the rules are there,
12:39everything is there. So, we just need somebody who can actually be strict and tough so that people
12:47will start listening to them. I mean, once these rules and laws are strictly enforced, see it is
12:53just a matter of getting adjusted to these things. Now we are, now and then we are also fine,
13:00yes we are all responsible in the sense that somewhere instead of some 5000 rupees fine,
13:05somebody is letting you go for 500 rupees, you are fine, you are happy with that. So,
13:09but the same thing if there is, if the government agencies strictly implement this, once you pay
13:17that you will never repeat it again. Once there is a hefty fine that you pay, we will all, so
13:24penalty is one but it may not solve everything but I think that is one way. So, there are,
13:30as and when there are different changes that we are seeing, so there are amendments to the
13:37laws and rules also. So, those also have to be strictly enforced is what I feel.
13:44Got it. This is one question that I want to ask you, like when will the seriousness of this matter
13:54be taken by the government or by the leaders who are there in the authority? Is it when it
14:00becomes a topic for the electoral purpose, like you know, is it then when the authorities are
14:06going to take major actions on this because everything is on paper. They do say that there
14:12is such number of investment done, the budget has been allocated but on the ground reality there is
14:18not too much done. The smog is still there, the AQI is still the same, you are putting a lot of
14:26things out there, a lot of campaigns are going but we are not able to see the result. So,
14:32according to you, unless and until if this becomes an electoral issue,
14:37only then the government is going to react to this?
14:41Well, that is for sure what you said. Only when it becomes an electoral issue,
14:48when we have elections, when we start talking about it, then you will suddenly see some
14:52campaigns, suddenly there will be certain things that will be implemented. We will see maybe there
14:59will be some greening afforestation campaigns will go on, major afforestation campaigns will go on,
15:05suddenly pollution levels will start coming down. We will see that the lakes are being cleaned and
15:11so yes, sometimes I think at least unfortunately in this country it is becoming an electoral
15:19issue but having said that see, once the elections are over then it is again back to
15:27square one. So yes, they talk about it, they do something, it is only a stopgap arrangement.
15:32They want to win the elections, they want to convince the people, they want to influence the
15:36people. Yes, they talk about it, do something for about three to six months, they will do something
15:40about it and then once they are elected, they are in power, all this goes off. So they
15:46have other things, their priorities are different, so that is why there should be an independent
15:53body irrespective of the government. They should have like for example, the NGT is there,
15:59they are strictly enforcing certain things. I think it is because of them that
16:04there are certain issues that are being addressed, not just addressed but then addressed immediately
16:09and on war footing sometimes. So the NGT kind of a body or a committee or a group of people
16:16who can always approach the court directly, they can even go against the government
16:21if they have observed and if they have evidence that the government said this and they have not
16:27done this and they have not implemented, they can go against the government and say that you
16:31have been responsible. So they have so much powers that they can go even against the government, they
16:36can hold the government responsible. So this kind of a body should be there. I think we should have
16:41multiple such bodies which will oversee irrespective of which government comes into
16:46power or not. I think that is the only way that we will be able to address these issues but
16:52right now yes, it is the NGT that is there. So if we can have similar, I mean NGT for the
17:00air pollution related issues, NGT for water related issues, biodiversity, agriculture,
17:07industrial industries related issues. So if we can break this down and have multiple
17:13bodies which can focus on certain things, now NGT is looking at all the environmental issues.
17:20Similarly, if there can be multiple bodies which can actually handle, so it takes down the,
17:25it actually reduces the burden on just one body and there are multiple bodies which can address
17:30and they can function more efficiently. Right. It is very sad to say this that things,
17:39like of course, it is said that things are being done but the results we cannot see and
17:44there is lot to be done in order to, for us to come out of the severe situation that we are all
17:49in. And according to a report, it is said that in the coming days out of, like every three child
17:59will have in future a severe lung problem. So how big of this as an, is an issue if we look
18:07from the medical perspective as well? Well, see as of now, I think every
18:17fifth or sixth child itself, you know, in some of these major metros, sometimes it is the fifth
18:24child itself, in some seasons probably it is the sixth child, sometimes it is the fourth child.
18:28So at least one out of six to seven children who are born are already facing, you know,
18:35respiratory issues. They are born with these ailments, which is very unfortunate. It is
18:41really sad that because of, you know, somebody else's mistake, you know, I mean, all of us,
18:47yes, responsible that these children are being born with these ailments. But yes, of course,
18:55so they are going to have this throughout their lives. They are going to live with these issues.
19:02So our concern here is that, yes, I mean, they are born now, you cannot undo it. You will have
19:10to take care of them. They will have to take care of themselves. Yes, the medical cost is going to
19:16be one added cost for that family, for that child, which they will have to consider throughout their
19:21lives until they support the child and then later on when the child is big enough to take
19:26care of himself or herself. So this is not just about the expenses, but it is also about whether
19:34these children are able to afford, that is one. The other thing is whether they have access to
19:41such kind of good quality, you know, medical help whenever they require. Somebody born in Delhi,
19:47Bangalore, Mumbai, okay, they will have immediate access. Even then, if there are children born in
19:54some slums, can they afford it? Those who are coming from financially, they have issues, I mean,
20:02financial problems. So there are economically underprivileged children who are born in such
20:10families, what about them? Though they are living in Delhi, Mumbai, even though they have access,
20:14but they cannot afford it. So similarly, there are people who are living in remote areas,
20:19they don't even have access, they don't even know what exactly has to be done to treat their
20:25issues or even for example, even for a temporary relief, they do not have access and sometimes
20:30they cannot afford it. So this, I mean, this is a very complex problem, you know, because
20:37until and unless we have cleaner air, until we have better environment for all of us to live in,
20:45these problems are going to multiply. It was like one in 15 children long back,
20:52it was, you know, one in 15 children were born with respiratory ailments, now it has come to
20:57one in six or seven. So as I said, maybe every second child, you know, which is born will be,
21:04we will reach that level very soon. I mean, it doesn't have to be decades,
21:08probably in the next 10-15 years, we will see that every second child or third child
21:13is going to be born with some kind of respiratory ailments. So I mean, this is a very
21:22complex issue. So I mean, there are multiple issues also which are related to it. So that's
21:28what I wanted to let you know. I'll take actually one last question. What is it taking? Why is so
21:35much of delay in all of, you know, in combating this situation? What is one reason? Is it just
21:41the negligence? Or is just, you know, because at times people say there are not much of funds or
21:48awareness is not there, like X, Y, Z reason. But again, the same question, what is it taking to
21:54the government or the society, the community at large, to take an action on this, which can
22:02give some results in, say, let's say in the coming years, like if we start doing something today,
22:08probably that will help us in next year, or probably next to next year, but an action has
22:13to be taken, right? So what is that one cause that our attention is not shifting to a crisis,
22:20like of this, which is of, we can say we are in an epidemic situation, and it's not affecting
22:27only one, it's affecting all of us, be it the higher class society or the lower class society,
22:32but it is affecting all of us. So what do you have to say on that?
22:36Well, this is, as I said, I mean, to one of your earlier questions,
22:43each one of us are responsible here again.
22:46So each one of us are negligent towards this, can we say that also?
22:52Yes, see, if we are wasting water, if we are using multiple vehicles, if you're not using
22:57public transport, if you're not actually reducing the kind of waste that you're actually generating.
23:06So it is just that we are getting used to our comfort levels.
23:11But at what cost to our own health?
23:16Yes, we don't realize that, we will deal with this medical issue for about a week or 10 days,
23:23and then things are again back to square one. So we are so, you know, ignorant is one,
23:31and we are too busy, you know, with our daily lives, you're only looking at how
23:38are you progressing economically? Am I earning so much? What is my saving? How much more do
23:44you have to earn next year? We are not thinking how better the air quality should be, you know,
23:48in the coming years. Rather, we are saying to this year, I saved five lakhs, I have to save
23:53five more lakhs, I have to save 10 lakhs. So the economic growth and development is what is taking
24:00a bigger toll. We think that by having more and more money that we'll be able to address
24:06all the problems, impossible. So this is where we are also negligent, we are ignorant, and we are
24:14also contributing to the fact that the quality of the overall environment is gradually declining.
24:21And we are seeing that every day. Yes, when there is a smog in Delhi, you know, people talk about it,
24:26the media is also talking about it, the governments will talk about it. Once the smog is gone,
24:31you know, it's like, you know, you don't see it. So out of sight is out of mind. So it's like that.
24:37So when everything else is fine, when there is no smog, then you are back. I mean, even otherwise,
24:42you are continuing your life. But at least you are talking about the air quality issues or the
24:48air pollution related issues or the smog. So in one way or the other, yes, each one of us are
24:54responsible, we are negligent, we are ignorant about it. And we have neglected a lot of things.
25:02And we, yes, there is a lot of awareness. But what is the action taken? There are organizations,
25:09you know, government, NGOs, there are people who have been working, I'm not saying there is nothing
25:14being done at all. But this is not enough. It is not sufficient. This has to be rather 20-30 times
25:21more what we have been doing now. It has to, or I think even 50 times more,
25:26you know, whatever that we have been doing, maybe afforestation, cleaning up the rivers,
25:30restoring lakes, you know, trying to restore ecosystems, having better agricultural,
25:36you know, productivity, not with chemical or fertilizers, but if we have to address it through
25:40organic waste. So these are, I mean, there are all the different types of issues that we are facing.
25:48But we do have experts, we do have expertise, we have some subject matter experts.
25:53There are great minds in this country, you don't even have to go outside.
25:57But they are not being utilized to their fullest potential. So that's why we need to have a very
26:04comprehensive and independent body that will start addressing these issues, take action on
26:11their own, otherwise penalize them. I think this is the only way until and unless we, you know,
26:29yes, danda also will work for some time. After that you get used to the danda also.
26:33Yeah, that's true.
26:34That's true. Yes. So when you're financially drained, that is when you start thinking twice,
26:40you know, like, for example, yes, if you are wearing a helmet, you're safe. And they don't
26:46think that, you know, it is for your safety. He's going to catch you, that's why wear the helmet.
26:52So otherwise, you will pay about 200-300-400 rupees fine. Same thing, you would have bought
26:57a helmet and started wearing it, you know, interest of your own health and safety. So this is how I
27:04mean, our Indian mentality is, unfortunately, yes, this is how we have been, not been born or
27:12brought up that way, but then the attitude towards... Conditioned is the right word, I think.
27:21So this, yes, one is to penalize them, whether it's government,
27:26industries, private sector, whoever it is, only once you start, they start paying this
27:33hefty fine is when I think people will realize and also sometimes they will not renew their
27:39license, their license are cancelled. So these measures should be strictly implemented or
27:46enforced. I think only then we people will start adhering to such rules and regulations.
27:54It's very funny to say, but yeah, of course, that's the reality. And I think we have a long,
27:59long, long way to go. And we have a lot to do, put in work to actually get out of the situation
28:04that we have ourselves brought us in. Because we can't just put the blame on the government or the
28:12society or the authorities. But of course, we are all in it together. Thank you so very much,
28:18Akshay, for talking to us on this topic, which is the need of the hour. And, you know, sharing
28:24your valuable insight with us with our viewers. And it was great chatting with you.
28:30Thank you so much, Shreya. Thank you for having me over. And I hope I mean,
28:35I mean, One India will be able to reach out to a larger audience and people will actually start,
28:43even if not doing anything, at least start thinking about it and trying to do something
28:47about it, at least. Thank you so much.
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