Govt inaction on pollution deadly, reducing people’s lifespan: Bidhuri

New Delhi, August 29

South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said the Delhi Government was responsible for a significant reduction in the lifespan of Delhi residents due to unchecked pollution.

Only interested in publicity stunts

Instead of addressing pollution, the government has been busy with publicity stunts like the ‘red light on, car off’ campaign and odd-even scheme, both of which are more about promoting Kejriwal’s image than solving the problem. — Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, South Delhi MP

Citing the latest findings from the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) on Thursday, Bidhuri said the average lifespan of Delhi residents had already decreased by eight years, and if current conditions persisted, it could be reduced by up to 12 years.

“For the last 10 years, people have been breathing poisonous air and the Kejriwal government has done nothing concrete to address the situation,” Bidhuri said.

He pointed out that a previous report indicated that pollution was responsible for the deaths of 12 of every 100 people in Delhi. He criticised the AAP Government for failing to control pollution.

Citing a report from the University of Chicago, Bidhuri said: “The report clearly shows that pollution has shortened the lifespan of people in Delhi by eight years. If WHO’s standards are not implemented, we could see an average reduction of 11.9 years in the lives of Delhi residents.”

The South Delhi MP also brought attention to a report published in the Lancet Planetary Health Journal, which indicated that approximately 33,000 people were dying every year in 10 cities across India, including Delhi, due to high levels of PM 2.5 in the air.

“In Delhi alone, 12,000 people die annually because of this, which accounts for 11.5 percent of the total deaths each year,” Bidhuri added.

The BJP MP attributed the high pollution levels to the government’s failure to improve public transport and road infrastructure. “The Kejriwal government did not buy a single bus in nine years until the life of all DTC buses was over. Even the new electric buses are a gift from the Centre. The lack of public transport has forced people to use their own vehicles, leading to increased pollution, congestion, and traffic jams,” he said.

Bidhuri said the government was focused more on political propaganda than on actual governance.

“Instead of addressing pollution, they’ve been busy with publicity stunts like the ‘red light on, car off’ campaign and the odd-even scheme, both of which were more about promoting Kejriwal’s image than solving the problem,” he said.

He further lambasted the government’s failed initiatives, such as the smog tower and the stubble-burning solution, which he claimed were ineffective.