Hon’ble Prime Minister,

Here is something that just may convince you: while India’s Gross Domestic Product has increased two-and-half times in two decades (1975-1995), the pollution load from industries has gone up four times and from vehicles a shocking eight times.

A study by the Centre for Science and Environment shows that the number of people dying due to air pollution went up by almost 30 per cent in four years between 1991 and 1995. An estimated 52,000 people are dying due to air pollution every year — about 10,000 of them in Delhi itself.

One person dies every hour due to air pollution in the city ruled by your party.

In Delhi vehicles are responsible for 70 per cent of the pollution load. Because of the high toxicity of fumes from transport fuel, one out of every 10-15 people living in Delhi is likely to get cancer.

Your government has failed to arrest this deterioration of air quality in Indian cities. Worse still, it contributes to the pollution in a big way by producing low quality fuel in state-owned refineries. Improving fuel quality is a short-term measure which will go a long way. Vehicles using clean fuel will pollute less.

Seeing your government’s inability to tackle air pollution, we present you with a peoples’ charter for clean air. This will help to immediately improve the quality of the air we breathe.

Mr Prime Minister, 50 years into Independence, please give us our right to clean air. We hope you will take our concern seriously.

Yours sincerely

Centre for Science and Environment
November 2, 1998