Include clean air in poll manifestos, political parties urged
Darpan News Desk IANS, 14 Jan, 2022 03:30 PM
Chandigarh, Jan 14 (IANS) In the run up to the assembly polls in Punjab, Clean Air Punjab -- a group of organisations, think tanks and civil society groups along with EcoSikh, on Friday asked all the political parties to include clean air in their poll manifestos.
On behalf of Clean Air Punjab, Gurpreet Singh of the Punjab Development Forum and Director of United Sikhs submitted a dossier containing the recommendations to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Daljit Cheema, AAP legislator Aman Arora and Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Bajwa.
"Punjab needs a strong leader who can implement structural reforms and revise policies to improve the air quality of all cities in the state," Gurpreet Singh said.
"Our state wants its leaders to lead by example and present answers to the air pollution crisis, which impacts the health of the people."
He said the generation is being choked by air pollution, which has resulted in a high number of deaths.
According to statistics, Punjab had 41,090 deaths in 2019, accounting for roughly 19 per cent of the state's total mortality.
Indu Aurora, Vice President, Voice of Amritsar, said this was for the first time that all political parties competing against each other were discussing air pollution at length.
"We will hold the new administration accountable for their promises," she said, adding she herself is a witness to the deteriorating air quality in Punjab and it is high time that those who get voted into power should take on the responsibility to ensure that the air "we breathe" is clean and proper checks are implemented to ensure a cleaner future for the next generation.
Clean Air Punjab has been conducting meetings in cities and was successful in ensuring that 2021 was the first time in the state when the air pollution was highlighted through different citizen campaigns across Punjab.
"Citizens of Punjab along with citizen groups, air quality experts and health practitioners have been successful in building a momentum, which has resulted in clean air and its impact on public health becoming a pressing issue for politicians who were earlier oblivious of the air pollution problem. We are now sure they will not be able to ignore it any further," said Anju Chabbra of EcoSikh.
According to global estimates, the air pollution is one of the most serious environmental issues confronting India today, and it is regarded as a major cause of countless deaths.
Punjab has reason to be concerned: the National Clean Air Action Plan lists nine non-attainment or million-plus cities in the state. A city that does not fulfil the Union Environment Ministry's specified air quality requirements is known as a non-attainment city.
In a major decision to regularise the services of nearly 36,000 employees ahead of the Assembly elections, the Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Punjab Protection and Regularisation of Contractual Employees Bill, 2021 to be introduced in the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha session for enactment.
The Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday accepted the resignation of Advocate General A.P.S. Deol -- a decision that is seen in political circles as lessening the "friction" between Chief Minister Charanjit Channi and Congress state chief Navjot Sidhu.
To curb air pollution emitting from open fires in the national capital, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday announced to launch an anti-open burning campaign under which 550 teams from various departments will be deployed in the city to keep a check on burning in open spaces.
A two-time councilor from Jhilmil ward and an MLA from Shahdara, Shunty has been running the foundation since 25 years which provides free ambulance services for the poor.
Randhawa in a statement here said the former Chief Minister, who also held the Home Portfolio, had then ordered the reinstatement of the police officer while withholding just one increment despite the then Additional Chief Secretary, Home, not writing in favour of the officer.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi had said that his government will not accept the Centre's decision to expand the BSF's jurisdiction from existing 15 km from the border to 50 km, as this is "against the spirit of federalism".
