In the wake of deteriorating air quality in the national Capital, the Delhi Congress unveiled a White Paper on air pollution on Monday, demanding a coordinated efforts need to be adopted by the Central Government to tackle the issues.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, while launching the White Paper, said Delhi has the right to breathe clean air but neither the Centre nor the Delhi Government was “doing enough” to give the people that right. Tharoor, also cited the instance of the choking smog disrupting the third Test between Sri Lanka and India, saying it showed the gravity of the situation in the city.
The "White Paper on Air Pollution in Delhi" has been prepared by the Delhi chapter of All India Professionals' Congress (AIPC), which is headed by Tharoor. Interacting with reporters at the Delhi Congress Office, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said ensuring breathing of clean air was a "fundamental responsibility" of any government. "Besides, I, in my capacity as an MP, had called a round table on the subject of pollution earlier this year and after deliberations, had sent a letter to the environment minister to take concrete action or allocate budget for taking steps for addressing the issue," he said and alleged that "the government has not taken any action on it".
In the White Paper, the AIPC has suggested steps that can be taken to combat air pollution, which includes strengthening of public transport like the DTC bus fleet, use of electric buses, reduction in stubble burning, promotion of solar power. The AIPC is a political platform focused on the needs and aspirations of working professionals in the country, and to connect them to development process of the country.
The cover of the White Paper launched by the party carried an image from the India-Sri Lanka Test cricket match, showing the visiting team standing in the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, wearing masks.