Keeping in view the NCR’s growing pollution menace, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, while presenting the Union Budget 2018-19 today, said a special scheme will be executed with the Delhi government and adjoining states to address the problem.
He also said steps would be taken to subsidise machinery required for management of crop residue.
While speaking on the theme, he said, “Air pollution in Delhi-NCR has been a cause for concern. A special scheme will be implemented to support the efforts of the governments of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to tackle the problem.” Delhi News
RWAs have welcomed the scheme. Most feel it will bring about significant results.
In fact, last week, East Delhi RWAs had written to Jaitley and demanded a special budget for pollution. On hearing the announcement, BS Vohra, president of East Delhi RWA Federation, said, “We welcome the special scheme. Let’s hope its implementation will breathe back some fresh air into this rapidly deteriorating environment.”
The Supreme Court-mandated environment panel, Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), in November had categorised air quality into poor, severe and emergency categories, depending on the levels of air pollution.
In the past three years, air pollution in the NCR has reported a steady year-on-year increase. Last November-December, the capital’s AQI (Air Quality Index) reached the “emergency category”.
While talking to City Spidey, Ashutosh Dikshit, URJA general secretary — an RWA federation in South Delhi — said, “Delhi’s pollution has become a challenging issue and any step to tackle it is welcome. But how this scheme will be implemented and how the authorities will be made accountable for its success are important questions.”
Delhi Finance Minister Manish Sisodia, however, expressed his disappointment about the budget, as Delhi’s share in central taxes continued to be the same since 2001-02, at Rs 325 crore. He tweeted: “The BJP government at Center continues to treat Delhi residents as second-grade citizens.”
In another tweet, he wrote: “Delhi police comes under the Centre. Yet no plan or schemes were announced to tackle crime and deal with issues of women’s safety…”
