New Delhi (NVI): With Delhi set for Assembly elections, some citizen groups are making the political parties and their candidates commit to work for clean air in the national capital which has been witnessing spells of severe pollution.
The #DilliDhadakneDo campaign, led by My Right to Breathe (MRTB), is organising town hall meetings to raise the issue of poor air quality and hold the political leaders or legislators accountable for it.
Citizens groups in Delhi, including MRTB and United residents Joint Action (URJA), have released a Clean Air Public Manifesto ahead of the February 8 Assembly elections and are making political parties and candidates to commit to it.
MRTB, the organisation behind the movement, has also asked the citizens to sign an online petition to demand clean air from the leading political parties in Delhi this election.
With the spike in health problems due to degraded air in the city in the last two years, the seasonal debates on the matter have transformed into a matter of huge concern among general public.
Now, for the first time, political leaders and candidates in the city are talking about possible solutions for air pollution, thanks to the citizens’ movement that has led to thousands gathering across Delhi and raising the issue.
The ongoing campaign started on January 27, with a series of town halls in 15 different constituencies across the city. Representatives of various political parties such as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (INC) attended the three town hall meetings on January 27 which were held at Karawal Nagar, Delhi Cantonment, and RK Puram.
At another such town hall organised in Dwarka, representatives from AAP and BJP pledged their support to Clean Air Manifesto 2020.
