Jairam Ramesh, Congress’s environment voice, dropped a bombshell: The National Clean Air Programme is a ‘paper tiger’ – all roar, no bite. As air pollution strangles India’s urban hubs, his words resonate with millions gasping for clean air.
Initiated with fanfare, NCAP targeted 122 key cities (later expanded) for pollution reduction by 2024. Reality check: A 2023 government audit admitted only 57% plan compliance, with actual improvements negligible in hotspots like Varanasi and Agra.
Breaking it down, Ramesh spotlighted fund misuse – crores parked in bank accounts instead of dust suppressants or tree plantations. Interstate coordination fails, with upwind states ignoring downwind impacts. Industries flout norms with impunity, shielded by regulatory capture.
The fallout hits vulnerable hardest: slum dwellers, daily wagers, schoolchildren. WHO declares 99% of Indians breathe unsafe air, linking it to strokes, heart disease, and cancer spikes.
Drawing from experience, Ramesh advocated for a ‘Pollution Emergency Act’ with Supreme Court oversight, biomass pellet incentives, and urban greening mandates. Congress eyes this as a poll plank, contrasting with BJP’s ‘event-based’ interventions like temporary school closures.
Scientific consensus urges systemic shifts: Electrify transport, retrofit factories, reform agriculture. Yet, policy inertia persists amid coal dependency and rapid urbanization.
Ramesh’s tirade isn’t isolated; it’s part of Congress’s eco-agenda resurgence. With COP conferences approaching, global eyes on India amplify the stakes.
Ultimately, NCAP’s fate mirrors governance priorities. Will India prioritize lungs over ledgers? Ramesh’s call demands an answer before the next toxic winter descends.