The recent statement made by the Lt Governor of Delhi, Shri Vijay Kapoor, that "pollution in Delhi is a very overstated problem" has created a furore amongst the citizens of Delhi. In an open letter to the Lt Governor a group of environmentalists, doctors, artists, academics, theatre and media personalities have demanded that Shri Kapoor must retract his irresponsible statement

In an open letter to the Delhi’s Lt Governor, Vijay Kapoor, prominent citizens of Delhi have joined hands with the Centre for Science and Environment to express deep shock at his statement underplaying the gravity of the air pollution problem in the city. The Lt Governor has said in a press 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." He further added that Delhi is high only in the suspended particulate matter in the atmosphere. But that is mostly due to the dust."

The group of signatories including environmentalists, artists, theatre persons, academics, media persons and doctors, are particularly disturbed because this statement, 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, gives the impression that there is a deliberate effort by the Government to underplay the problem.

The angry signatories want to know on what basis the Lt Governor has made claims about improvement in the air quality in Delhi between 1989 and 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 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.

Even greater cause of concern is the misrepresentation of facts by the Lt Governor who thinks the high level of suspended particulate matter in the Delhi’s atmosphere is just benign dust. The citizens have flayed him for having glossed over the fact that toxic small particulate makes up for over 40 per cent of the total suspended particulate matter in the Delhi’s ambience which kills. Not only has he ignored the evidences of effects of air pollution on health, he also forgot to mention that the problem dismissed by him as overstated killed 7491 prematurely in 1991-92 and 10,000 people in 1995. The letter reminds Shri Kapoor that according to studies done by the World Bank and the Centre For Science and Environment, the cost of health effects of air pollution--borne by the Delhi government-- has shot up from Rs 675 crore annually in 1991-92 to Rs.880 crore in 1995.

What has irked the citizens most is that the Lt Governor has made such a misdirected statement when the Government of Delhi in several affidavits filed earlier in the Supreme Court has acknowledged the "seriousness and urgency of the problem" and has given details on the magnitude of the problem. The Ministry of Environment and Forests has issued a White Paper on pollution in Delhi with an action plan. The enraged citizens have demanded to know, "Is all this being done for an overstated problem?"

The perturbed signatories have urged the Lt Governor to be more responsible towards the citizens of Delhi by providing correct information on air quality and risks to public health. "Instead of addressing the vital issues affecting the public health you have unfortunately chosen to make unfounded claims misleading the people," said the irate citizens. They have demanded either a retraction of the statement or a clarification.

For more information, contact Anumita Roychowdhury at CSE,
Tel. Nos. 6981110, 6981125