To The Lt.Governor of Delhi

29 June, 1998

Shri Vijay Kapoor
Lt Governor of Delhi
6, Raj Niwas
3, Motilal Nehru Place
Delhi -110054

Hon. Lt.Governor,

We are writing to you to express our deep shock at your recent statement underplaying the gravity of the air pollution problem in Delhi. You have said in an interview to the Indian Express on 24 June, "Pollution in Delhi is a very overstated problem. I have no proof on the fact that Delhi is said to be the fourth most polluted city in the world....Also, the average pollution levels have marginally fallen from 1989 to 1996."

In view of the growing body of scientific evidence available on the declining air quality in Delhi and the risks that it presents to public health we are convinced that this statement has been made either from ignorance or from a desire to hide the government’s incapacity to deal with the air pollution problem. Instead of addressing the vital issues affecting the public health you have unfortunately chosen to make unfounded claims misleading the people.

Clearly, Sir, you have not checked the available air quality data to see the trend in the air pollution levels in the city in the last decade. The data available from the Central Pollution Control Board clearly indicates that the levels of such pollutants as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and the suspended particulate matter in the Delhi’s ambience have increased by 37 per cent, 39 per cent, and 91 per cent respectively from 1989 to 1995. Also, more evidence is coming to light on the alarming levels of other toxic gases in the ambience like benzene and ozone which are not monitored on a routine basis in Delhi.

Unfortunately, you have also chosen to ignore the evidences of effects of air pollution on health, compiled by other organisations and research bodies in Delhi. The problem which you have dismissed as "overstated" was responsible for 7491 premature deaths in Delhi in 1991-92, as indicated by one World Bank study. Subsequently, another study done by the Centre For Science and Environment showed that the death count had gone up to 10,000 by 1995. These studies have also shown that the cost of health effects of air pollution in Delhi - borne by the Delhi government - had also increased from about Rs 675 crore annually in 1991-92 to Rs 880 crore in 1995.

Sir, we are most concerned at the misrepresentation of facts in your statement. You have said, "Delhi is high only in suspended particulate matter in the atmosphere. But that is mostly due to the dust." You have completely glossed over the toxic effect of the killer dusts which are primarily responsible for the air pollution related deaths and illness in Delhi. According to the Central Pollution Control Board the respirable fraction of the suspended particulate matter make up for more than 40 per cent of the suspended particulate matter which Delhi’s 9 million people are forced to breathe. You have confused the benign dust with the toxic small particulate coated with polyaromatic hydrocarbon which come mostly from vehicular sources.

Coming close after Delhi’s health minister Harsh Vardhan’s statement that there is no evidence to link air pollution to heart and lung diseases, your statement makes us feel that there is a deliberate effort by the Government to underplay the problem.

We, the concerned citizens of Delhi, are particularly perturbed because you have made this statement at a time when the Delhi Government is mandated to come up a with an action plan urgently to arrest the current trend in air quality. In one of the several affidavits filed in the Supreme Court, the Delhi government has submitted, "This Government with awareness of the seriousness and urgency of the problem of vehicular pollution .... has been making possible efforts, and would welcome practical guidance...to deal with this gigantic task." Do all these affidavits also overstate the problem? The Ministry of Environment and Forests has also issued a white paper on pollution in Delhi with an action plan admitting, "effective and coordinated measures for controlling pollution need to be put in place without delay." Is all this being done for an "overstated problem"?

Rather than misleading the citizens of Delhi about the gravity of the problem it is in the interest of the government to warn them of the ill effects of pollution, and urge them to take precautionary methods.

We urge upon you to be more responsible towards the citizens of Delhi by providing correct information on air quality and the risks to public health. We demand either a retraction of your statement, or at least a clarification.

Yours sincerely

ANIL AGARWAL
Director, Ccentre for Science and Environment

USTAAD AMJAD ALI KHAN
Eminent Sarod Player

ARUNA VASUDEV ROY
Editor, CINEMAYA

ANUPAM MISHRA
Gandhi Peace Foundation

PROF C K VARSHNEY
Environmental Scientist, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Dr G S GREWAL
Hon Secretary, Delhi Medical Association

JUSTICE H L ANAND
Former High Court Judge

PROF H B MATHUR
Former chairperson of the committee on emission norms

HARSH JAITLEY
Environmentalist, Participatory Research in Asia

IQBAL MALLICK
Director, Vatavaran

JATIN DAS
Eminent Artist

KHUSHWANT SINGH
Veteran Journalist and Writer

PREM AGARWAL
Secretary, Indian Medical Association

RAJEEV DHAVAN
Supreme Court Lawyer and director PILSARC

RAGHU RAI
Eminent photographer

RAJDEEP SARDESAI
Political editor of NDTV

RAVI AGARWAL
Environmentalist, SRISHTI

SHUBHA MUDGAL
Eminent vocalist

Dr S K CHHABRA
Head, Cardio-respiratory department, VallabhBhai Patel Chest Institute

TARUN TEJPAL
Associate Editor OUTLOOK

V K MISHRA
Executive Director, Society for Promotion of Wasteland Development

WALTER FERNANDES
Environmentalist, Indian Social Institute

Dr YAMINI KRISHNAMURTHY
Eminent danseuse

ZOHRA SEGAL
Theatre personality