Delhi’s diesel problem

FIRST, the Kejriwal government’s odd-even scheme made commuting a headache in Delhi. Now the Supreme Court’s ban on diesel cabs, effective from May 1, has begun to bite. After extending the deadline twice, the court on Saturday refused to give more time to cab operators to convert to CNG. Monday saw massive traffic snarls on the busy Delhi-Gurgaon highway during the morning rush hours. Stripped of their right to livelihood and unable to pay back taxi loans or bear the prohibitive cost of conversion to CNG, diesel cab drivers threatened suicide and jammed road traffic, while some had their vehicles challaned. Among the worst sufferers were women working on late night shifts and using company-provided cab services.

This is a price people should pay in the pursuit of clean air after causing tremendous environmental damage over the years while sleeping over self-generated pollution. They also have to pay for their successive governments’ failure to look ahead and plan better. Governments in this country are seldom taken to task for unplanned urbanisation, public transport falling short of the rise in population and for short-sightedness in letting any number, and any kind, of private and public vehicles on roads. Ruling politicians actually facilitate the chaotic growth of cities by sanctioning illegal colonies.  

The late awakening has happened, which is welcome, but it comes with side-effects, hurtful to some financially, but should be tolerated for the common good. The mess caused by collective failure of decades cannot be cleared by an odd-even scheme or some Supreme Court restrictions on diesel vehicles. The measures initiated are inadequate and can be faulted on many counts. But one has to begin somewhere. The anti-pollution battle will have to be fought on many fronts. Decades ago the CNG experiment improved Delhi’s air and the success of the model was sought to be replicated in polluted metropolitans the world over. Subsequent laxity, however, restored Delhi’s environmental and travel horrors. There are lessons here for policymakers and others: save your cities before it is late, and don’t repeat Delhi’s mistakes.