Stop blame game

IT is that time of the year again, when every breath you take is a reminder of your helplessness and the untrustworthiness of those at the helm. A common thread running through the years of deteriorating air quality in the National Capital Region is the lack of vision and non-partisan strategy. Where there ought to be a collective resolve, political leaders zero in on finger-pointing as the most appropriate response. Where there ought to be long-term, cohesive solutions, knee-jerk decisions are resorted to. Delhi and Punjab have taken responsibility for being unable to check stubble burning in the border state, promising to resolve the issue by next November. For the rivals, this admission of failure by AAP is an opportunity hard to miss. For, didn’t the party blame the then Congress government in Punjab the last time Delhi choked?

The political blame game amid the raging toxic air is a waste of every citizen’s time. Mistakes have been made, the plans have failed, and the outcome is being felt by one and all. Why not devote all energy instead on the lessons learnt, and come up with more pragmatic solutions? Concerted straw burning is considered an important factor behind the thick smog enveloping cities, leading to serious health issues. The farmers’ reluctance to let go of what they consider is the cheapest and most practical option is not a matter that will get easily resolved. Various incentives have proved to be ineffective. Clearly, there is a mismatch. An adversarial conversation is counter-productive. Treat the farmer as an equal stakeholder in the citizen’s charter and search for the elusive common ground.

It is every citizen’s right to breathe clean air and live in a pollution-free environment, as repeatedly asserted by the Supreme Court. State and Central leaders ought to know better than trying to reduce air pollution just to score petty political points. How difficult would it be to join forces and brainstorm on a strategy for the common good?