L-G’s claim leaves experts fuming

NEW DELHI, June 30: The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and eminent intellectuals have taken umbrage at the Delhi Lieutenant-Govern...

NEW DELHI, June 30: The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and eminent intellectuals have taken umbrage at the Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vijai Kapoor’s recent remark in an interview to Express Newsline on June 23 that the Capital’s pollution levels were “overstated”.

In an open letter, they sought to know the basis of the Lt. Governor’s assessment and contradicted his claims about improvement in air quality in the city from 1989 to 1996.

“According to the available air quality data from the Central Pollution Control Board, the levels of such pollutants as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and the suspended particulate matter (SPM) in Delhi’s ambience have increased by 37 per cent, 39 per cent and 91 per cent respectively from 1989 to 1996,” the CSE said.

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It said more evidence was coming to light on the alarming levels of other toxic gases like benzene and ozone which were not monitored on a routine basis in the city.

“Even greater cause of concern is the misrepresentation of facts by the Lt. Governor who thinks the high level of SPM in Delhi’s atmosphere is just benign dust,” the letter said.

The signatories to the letter including the CSE director Anil Agarwal, eminent Sarod player Amjad Ali Khan, veteran journalist Khushwant Singh, Prof C.K. Varshney of Jawaharlal Nehru University and theatre personality Zohra Segal.

They pointed out that the Delhi Government had expressed concern over the situation. The Ministry of Environment and Forests had issued a white paper on pollution in the Capital with an action plan, they pointed out.