As new BJP government presented its first Budget on Tuesday, there was scarcely any hint that India’s capital city has repeatedly ranked as the one with the highest air pollution—six times in the last eight years. The most recent ranking, by an IQAir report, was just a fortnight ago.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who presented the budget as finance minister, mentions the menace of air pollution. However, there’s little or no aggressive push to cut pollution at source. It does not consider some key studies, particularly transport, by experts, within or outside the government. While a fair part of Delhi’s pollution, depending on factors like climate and other sources, can be from outside the capital’s jurisdiction, the Budget could do far more to cut pollution sources inside Delhi.
Perhaps the single biggest missed chance is confident, brave policy steps to reduce the number of fossil-fuelled vehicles in the capital. These account for about half of Delhi’s pollution, according to a study by the Centre for Science and Environment. Even the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a body set up by the BJP-led Union government, called for a lot more buses. In a report three years ago to curb Delhi and its neighbourhood’s air pollution, the CAQM spelt out that “more buses are the key to reducing pollution; metro may not be effective”.
So, what would it take to reduce private fossil fuel transport and incentivise users to switch to public transit?
In the 2022 report, the CAQM pointed out that over seven in 10 people don’t use private transport but “sustainable modes” like public transport, walking, cycling, autos, and trains an opportunity it said for clean air.
However, as the saying goes, the more things change, the more they remain the same.
The Budget makes the right noises about public transit, promising “seamless connectivity” and “a new era of public transport.” However, details are sketchy. The number of electric buses promised seems to have remained unchanged. The Budget promises a little over 7,100 electric buses (7,152 to be exact) by the next financial year. The previous AAP government had promised that 80% of total fleet of 11,000 would be EVs, which is about 8,800.
The Budget was coincidentally announced on the same day the WHO began its second international conference on air quality. Delhi and India have dominated the rankings for places with the highest pollution in the last couple of years. Within India, Delhi punches above its weight, given the attention, money and power it has as the national capital. The new government’s budget could have been a great starting point to demonstrate it was serious about slashing air pollution.
Perhaps it could consider a policy mantra for political and pollution wins: Pedestrian First and Public Transit First.
Chetan Bhattacharji
Climate journalist and communications consultant