When Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a slew of measures to control air pollution in the national capital, including implementation of the odd-even method of rationing of private vehicles, he aimed at much more than just tackling the notoriously foul air in the city.
With Assembly elections just months away, Kejriwal instantly turned air pollution into a big talking point in the political sphere. More importantly, he secured for the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi the first-mover advantage on the issue, taking credit for what he claimed was a 25 per cent reduction in pollution levels in the last four years and expressing sincerity concerning taking steps to provide the denizens with clean air.
“Delhi is the only city in the world where pollution is decreasing. Pollution in Delhi has decreased by 25 per cent,” Kejriwal said yesterday as he announced a seven-point action plan to curb pollution in Delhi in the winter months. He attributed the dip in pollution levels to steps taken by his government, mainly the improvement in power supply that has led to a reduction in the use of diesel-based generators.
Political rivals, the BJP and the Congress, were left with no option but to only react to Kejriwal and accuse him of wrongly claiming credit for the improvement in Delhi's air quality. The opposition BJP has attacked Kejriwal for stealing credit from the Modi government for the reduction in pollution. Congress has questioned the efficacy of odd-even in bringing down pollution levels and termed the announcements made by Kejriwal political gimmickry.
The November 4 to 15 run of the odd-even scheme in Delhi will be third such time the restrictions will be put in place in the capital. It will be implemented at a time when there is a spike in air pollution in Delhi as winter approaches. The deterioration in air quality seen at that time of the year has been attributed to stubble burning in neighbouring states and as the after-effect of bursting of crackers during Diwali.
Perhaps realising that the scheme could result in the people complaining about difficulties in commuting, Kejriwal stressed on the measure being an emergency one. He said it could not be implemented on a long-term basis as it will be difficult. Nevertheless, the steps announced by him are of nature where its success will depend on the involvement of and cooperation from Delhiites, giving them a sense of ownership in the steps being taken.
The timing of the announcement and the implementation of the measures is politically convenient as the winter months would lead to the Assembly elections in Delhi that are due early next year.
