- 6 hours ago
This special report focuses on Delhi's escalating air pollution crisis, which has driven citizens to protest for their basic right to clean air. The program examines the failure to enforce stricter GRAP-3 anti-pollution measures despite hazardous AQI levels, and a reality check reveals rampant rule violations at construction sites. A key discussion features Dr. Ashok Seth, Chairman of Fortis-Escorts Heart Institute, who stated, 'what is going to happen to our children, who anyway are developing asthma, bronchitis, pneumonias, and they're going to have bad lungs for time to come.' The show also includes a heated debate with BJP leader Majinder Singh Sirsa, who defends his party's actions against the anchor's pointed questions about the government's response and data authenticity.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Oh
00:20We're only asking for a clean environment, clean air, to breathe.
00:24The people in their homes keep killing.
00:28Do not want to save money!
00:32Do not want to save money!
00:34The people who are all操ating, let's save money!
00:38Let's save money.
00:42Let's save money!
00:44Let's save money!
00:54I have the right to live, not just survive.
01:06I miss breathing.
01:10Achhe din dikhe nahi, kyunki 800 AQI tha.
01:16Right to live, not just survive over there.
01:19These are just some of the slogans that were seen on the streets of Delhi NCR over the weekend.
01:28Don't they just speak to you?
01:30Aren't they speaking exactly the language that you and I want to ask?
01:34There was one saying that I miss breathing, miss breathing clean air.
01:41Ap ki baar 1000 AQI paar.
01:43But will we really ever get to know about this?
01:46Well, we'll discuss that and a lot more on the program today.
01:49I'm Sonal Merothra Kapoor.
01:51You're watching Five Live.
01:53Now, these sentiments that you're just seeing on your screen right now in the capital
01:57were just one of the hundreds and thousands of, you know, those that gathered at India Gate
02:04demanding our basic right to clean air.
02:08Protesters took to the streets, most of them wearing masks, holding placards, demanding urgent
02:14government action against cities' toxic air.
02:17Activists, citizens, even kids joined the call for clean air.
02:24The protests lasted for nearly 30 minutes and saw before police began cracking down on demonstrators
02:32and started detaining them.
02:37Just some of those visuals on your screen from last evening.
02:48However, even as Delhi continued to gasp for breath and calls for the right to breathe clean air
02:55were raised, on the same day, just a few kilometers away, what was happening?
03:01Well, the Supreme Court Bar Association organized a run and a walk-a-thon.
03:06The air quality index at that point was roughly around 400 according to the government data
03:12which has been under question for a while.
03:13And the Chief Justice of India, Riyar Gawai, flagged off that so-called fitness event in that terrible AQI.
03:23Netizens and citizens have questioned logic and intent behind this move.
03:28And that's not it.
03:29The Commission for Air Quality Management is still not convinced, despite all of this,
03:35that stricter air pollution norms have to be implemented immediately.
03:40Well, according to them, there is no immediate need to invoke Grab 3 restrictions.
03:46What are Grab 3?
03:47Grab 3 and Grab 4 are the ones in which you have to shut down school, shut down construction activity,
03:53get into people working from home and when it gets even more severe in Grab 4
03:57and later get an odd even.
04:00What they are saying is that City's AQI remains at a higher end of very poor category.
04:06It's largely, it gets severe during the first part of the day
04:10but then it clears out because of air movement in the evening
04:14so we are not able to enforce Grab 3.
04:16The question is, are kids going to school at later part of the day?
04:21Are you and I breathing that air when you are back home?
04:25What exactly is happening?
04:27Is that argument worth considering?
04:29And the reality on ground, what exactly does that say?
04:34Watch this report and then we'll discuss.
04:48Delhi's lungs are choking yet again.
04:51The city's air has slipped back into the danger zone.
04:55PM 2.5 and PM 10 both drowning the people in the capital.
05:02The government has imposed the Grab 2 as a supposed shield.
05:06But on the ground, that shield looks full of holes.
05:27At DDU Mark, India Today Reality Check exposes how rules are being ignored at construction sites.
05:36No green curtain, no covered debris and dust everywhere.
05:57And in North Delhi, the situation is no different.
06:19Near Nanak Piyao, Gurdwara, Delhi Metro has turned the road into a dumping zone.
06:28Demolition waste stacked high.
06:32Metro work from Ghanta Ghar Chauk to Azadpur, carpeting the stretch with dust.
06:38Grab 2 implement to grab 2.0.
06:40Grab 2.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.
06:41Grab 2.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.
06:42Jis طریقے سے construction's کا material ہے اور demolition کا material ہے
06:46وہ کھولے آنگ کس طریقے سے سڑکوں کے بیچ پڑا ہوا ہے
06:50وہ آپ صاف طور پر دے سکتے ہیں.
06:52اس dumping yard کو بھی پوری طریقے سے cover جو ہے وہ کرنا پڑتا ہے
06:55اور اس پر پانی کا چھڑکاو کرنا پڑتا ہے
06:58تاکہ اس کی دھول مٹی جو ہے یعنی PM 10 اور PM 2.5
07:02یعنی چھوٹے particles جو ہے وہ نہ اڑے
07:04لیکن کھانا پورتی کے نام پر صرف
07:06آپ دیکھیں گے ایک پتلی سی چادر جو ہے وہ یہاں پر
07:09ایک طرفہ جو ہے وہ بیچھا رکھی ہے
07:11اگر کہا جائے تو یہ کھانا پورتی سے کم نہیں ہے
07:13So the rules exist
07:17The orders exist
07:19What's missing is enforcement
07:22آپ یہ دیکھئے جب یہ graph 4 لگاتے ہیں
07:26construction ساری بند کر دیتے ہیں
07:28تو AQI improve ہوتا ہے
07:31اس کا مطلب یہ ہوا نا کہ construction کی وجہ سے
07:34سارا pollution ہے جیسے آپ نے graph 4 لگایا
07:36construction بند کری
07:38آپ کا pollution level
07:39ایک دم سے دھڑام نیچے گر جاتا ہے
07:41تو یہ اپنے آپ میں indicator ہے
07:43کہ construction کا بہت بڑا factor ہے
07:46اس میں pollution میں
07:47اور ہم بڑی جلدی
07:50hazardous category میں جانے والے آنے والے دنوں میں
07:53On Delhi's streets
07:57dust still flies
07:58and the air grows thicker by the hour
08:01No Grab 3 rollout yet
08:04and the big question is
08:07who will roll up their sleeves
08:09and clean the air
08:10Delhi breathes
08:11With Sushan Mehra
08:14Bureau Report
08:16India Today
08:17What are they waiting for?
08:23Why is there no Grab 3 just yet?
08:27Are we better or worse?
08:28What's happening in the hospitals?
08:30Let's try and get answers to all those questions
08:32First up, let's see the impact of AQI to your health
08:36directly if you're one of those who are not convinced just yet
08:40Joining me now is Dr. Ashok Seth
08:42Chairman of Fortis Scott's Health Institute
08:45in the National Capital
08:46Can't think of a better name
08:47to give us a perspective on things as well
08:49Dr. Seth, my first question to you is this
08:52Are we at a point of no return
08:55with what is happening with AQI
08:58and what it does to our bodies?
09:01Are we now going to see a generation of kids
09:04who will have lungs and other body organs
09:09not fully formed
09:11because of air pollution?
09:14So, firstly
09:16commendable that you bring up such important points
09:19for the public
09:21and for our health
09:22The second aspect is this very straight question
09:27that you've really pointedly asked
09:29Do I have a hope?
09:30I don't have a hope
09:32Years after years after years
09:35We've seen pollutions rise
09:37And fascinatingly
09:39the blame game continues on and on
09:41as to what is the cause of the pollution
09:45But there's still nothing done about
09:47We talk about the health of the nation
09:49Can you believe that this
09:51we just talk about pollution this month?
09:54Actually, for the whole of the year
09:55we live in unhealthy
09:57It only becomes hazardous at this time
10:00Hazardous means that we now are in a gas chamber
10:03We were anyway
10:05have been throughout the year
10:07in bad pollution
10:09which in the West
10:10would have been considered unsafe
10:12Even our best days
10:14are considered unsafe for the West
10:15And, you know, we talk about increase
10:18in heart disease
10:19and we look at causes for heart disease
10:21and we tell the whole population
10:23to exercise
10:24One of the biggest causes of increase
10:27of heart disease
10:28and heart attacks in this country
10:29has actually been the pollution
10:31And this pollution, by the way
10:33does not just exist in big cities
10:35go down to even smaller towns
10:36it exists
10:37I think there is a lack
10:39of will
10:40and a lack of enforcement
10:43and a lack of
10:44it becoming a national agenda
10:46Why shouldn't it be a national agenda?
10:48How many countries
10:49do you have
10:50in your mind
10:51where you go
10:51and it's polluted?
10:53I can name those countries
10:54or perhaps
10:55there are only 20 countries
10:56across the world
10:56like ours
10:57in terms of pollution
10:59Anywhere you go
11:00You go to the whole of Africa
11:01You go to the whole of Europe
11:02You go to the whole of
11:03even Asia Pacific
11:05and you have clean air to breathe
11:06I just can't understand
11:08why we as a nation
11:09just continue to live
11:11when at this time
11:13the heart attacks
11:14have increased by 2200%
11:16We have twice more heart attacks
11:18There are people
11:19getting admitted with strokes
11:20There are clearly
11:22elderlies being affected
11:23with chest infections
11:25and pneumonias
11:26We are dying
11:29and you're right
11:31What is going to happen
11:33to our children
11:34who anyway
11:35are developing asthma
11:36bronchitis
11:37pneumonias
11:39and they're going to have
11:40bad lungs
11:41for time to come
11:42We talk about
11:44so many big things
11:45and yet
11:45this is the most
11:47important thing
11:48most important
11:49hazard
11:50that
11:52we face
11:53Especially of course
11:54in big metro cities
11:55we face it all the time
11:57Think of those young people
11:58who are on the streets
11:59doing their job
12:01meeting their deadlines
12:02in a motorcycle
12:03and in a scooter
12:04We have a lot more to do
12:06because it's our own children
12:07who probably
12:08will suffer
12:09from such bad
12:10lung
12:11heart and brain
12:12conditions
12:12in times to come
12:13that we will one day
12:14be saying
12:15gosh
12:16we wish we had
12:17better air to breathe
12:18We have every luxury
12:20fine
12:20We can provide
12:21every system
12:22to most of our population
12:24we say
12:25majority of our population
12:27is now insured
12:28for their health
12:30but are they
12:31insured
12:31against
12:32the air
12:34that we breathe
12:34are they insured
12:35for just clean
12:36nice environment
12:38and air
12:39they're not
12:40and I think
12:41there is no intent
12:43I agree with that
12:44there is no intent
12:45I understand that
12:46I completely echo
12:47your sentiment as well
12:48but like I said
12:50I'm feeling pretty helpless
12:51we've been covering
12:52the air pollution story
12:53for at least a decade now
12:54Yes
12:55It started with the petition
12:56at the Supreme Court
12:57kids had petitioned
12:58that's when
12:59GRAB guidelines came in
13:00that's when
13:01we thought we had
13:02moved forward
13:03but this year
13:04seems to be a different story
13:06I want to understand
13:07from you
13:08in what you're seeing
13:09in your own OPD
13:11what you're hearing
13:12in the medical fraternity
13:13is this year
13:14better or worse
13:16say compared to
13:17the past five years
13:18that you've seen
13:19because I understand
13:20the impact of
13:21sustained toxic air
13:23that cumulative impact
13:25is also building up
13:26but this year
13:27particularly
13:27is it better or worse?
13:29It's very difficult
13:31to actually say that
13:33unless we methodically
13:35analyze every data
13:37of our patient input
13:38what we can say
13:40is that
13:40we certainly suffering
13:42at least I can personally say
13:44that I'm more worried
13:46and scared
13:46this year
13:47than I was
13:48in the previous years
13:49I think the pollution
13:50just seems to be
13:51overwhelming
13:52even for me
13:53even for my parents
13:54on an individual
13:55my father
13:56who's elderly
13:57for all of us
13:59if I stand outside
14:01my eyes hurt
14:02I was yesterday
14:03on a personal basis
14:05just on a phone
14:07and the signal
14:08drops in my home
14:09so I stood outside
14:11at eight o'clock
14:14just talking on the phone
14:15and by the time
14:16I was entering the house
14:18my eyes were hurting
14:19and that had never
14:20happened to me
14:20earlier
14:21and it was so surprising
14:22and that's when I realized
14:24that is so dangerous
14:26to even stand outside
14:27for half an hour
14:28outside the home
14:31so yes
14:32we can't say it
14:33unless we have statistics
14:34I don't want to claim
14:36that we have statistics
14:37we're seeing a lot of patients
14:39we're seeing it worsening
14:41we see it every
14:42but I think
14:43year after year
14:44year after year
14:45it's been only worse
14:46I don't recall
14:47a better day
14:49than the previous year
14:50or a worse
14:52you know
14:52a better year
14:54than the previous year
14:55I only recall
14:55worse after
14:56year
14:57is worse
14:58year after year
14:59after year
15:00Dr. Saeed
15:01your words are powerful
15:02I think they have
15:03a lot of meaning
15:04and I really hope
15:05it reaches those
15:06who can actually
15:07bring an impact
15:08when we can
15:09land Indians
15:11on the moon
15:11when we can go
15:13and do some
15:13crazy stuff in space
15:15when we have the tech
15:16to ensure
15:17that you know
15:18robotics is taking over
15:19in medicine
15:20in other fields as well
15:21why can't we solve
15:22the problem of air pollution
15:23I think that's what's
15:24very very disturbing
15:26and on your issue
15:28and on that issue
15:29that you said
15:30of statistics
15:31the Lancet report
15:32I think makes it
15:33very very clear
15:34linking air pollution
15:36to deaths now
15:37across the globe
15:38especially here
15:39in India
15:39to doctors now
15:41saying that you live
15:41in polluted air
15:42you are at a high
15:43risk category
15:44I think we can't
15:45get more clear
15:45than that
15:45and I think
15:47it's appalling
15:49that we have to
15:50continue to do
15:51show after show
15:52year after year
15:53month after month
15:54to try and raise
15:55this matter
15:55and not get
15:56any visible solution
15:58on this one
15:59I thank Dr. Saeed
16:00for joining us
16:00with his valuable time
16:01on this very
16:03important story
16:04but who can
16:05bring an impact
16:05let's cut across
16:07to that person now
16:08Delhi's environment
16:10minister
16:10Majinder Singh Sirsa
16:12now joins us
16:13and
16:14Sisa ji
16:22thank you very much
16:23for talking to us
16:24first of all
16:25I want to know
16:26that
16:26in Delhi
16:27there is
16:28anger
16:29and impatience
16:31there is
16:32people now
16:33on the streets
16:34asking
16:35what the reason
16:36is that
16:37we are putting so
16:38we are putting
16:40on the streets
16:41and we are putting
16:41on the streets
16:42and we are putting
16:43on the streets
16:43foreign
16:50I'm gonna be
16:52I'm gonna be
16:54I'm gonna be
16:56I'm gonna be
16:58I'm gonna be
17:00foreign
17:14foreign
17:28I want to interject.
17:58I want to interject on one point, Mr. Sirsa.
18:01You are saying that there are sprinklers out, you are right.
18:04You are saying construction sites have these sprinkler guns, you are right, but they are
18:08not working.
18:09We've just done a ground report, these sort of sprinklers at construction sites are sitting
18:14dumb.
18:15The sprinkler sites are only hovering around the AQI meter, they are not there for general
18:20citizens.
18:21It's been documented, it's out in the open for people to see.
18:28I am not able to understand what you said, I am not getting your voice, but what I am
18:36able to understand is that you are saying that the sprinklers are not working on any construction
18:41site.
18:42It can happen.
18:43It can happen.
18:44We will do monitoring again.
18:45Some people will do it again.
18:47They will do it again.
18:48They will do it again.
18:49They will do it again.
18:50But the community is doing it again.
18:51I know that people will keep doing it again.
18:52They will get there again.
18:53They will be doing it.
18:54They will do it again.
18:55They will do it again.
18:56They will do it again.
18:57On what basis are you saying that Mr. Sitsar?
19:24On what basis are you saying?
19:27On what basis are you saying that I went and did a reality check?
19:31Yes, I checked a reality check in Delhi.
19:34When we saw that when we put water sprinklers on a meter,
19:37it is showing up to 150 to 200 points.
19:41This is the first time in the past 5 years that we have had to question the authenticity of numbers.
19:48We have had to question the authenticity.
19:51It is the first time in the past 5 years.
19:53It is the first time in the past 5 years.
19:57It is the first time in the past 5 years.
19:59If it is different, it will be different.
20:01It is the first time in the past 5 years.
20:03It is the first time in the past 5 years.
20:05It is the first time in the past 5 years.
20:07You would have told yourself when you ,
20:13you will say,
20:14You will tell them that you would fill the hands-up,
20:19foreign
20:49If there will be a different agenda, I can't do that with that.
20:51I can give you an authentic agenda.
20:53Sir, Sir, asking a question does not mean, asking a question...
20:58Sir, Sir, I love you.
21:01I'm just listening to you about it.
21:03I just want to say that asking a question is not agenda.
21:09That is my dharma as a journalist, to ask you a question.
21:12I am just asking you a question.
21:14I am asking you a question, I want to understand
21:17why under these numbers that we've had for the past one week or so,
21:21there should have been GRAB-3 measures.
21:23Why have those GRAB-3 measures not been implemented?
21:31I think you have all wrong information with you.
21:34You need to update yourself, please, for my humble request to you.
21:38It is not me alone to decide GRAB-3.
21:41GRAB-3 is only implemented after some kind of AQ level,
21:43when 400 will be passed.
21:45Now this is not to work for me and nothing,
21:48this is to be in the CQEM, in the SIPCB.
21:50you have to do the Dirling public and a place like this.
21:51I have to never do it.
21:53This is all normal fix your needs to fix your needs.
21:53I think it's not to be fixed.
21:55I don't want to fix my new
22:04foreign foreign foreign
22:34I want to tell you that you are listening to me and then I will tell you that I will tell you that
22:37in Delhi, the best way to give the government and the government and the government and the government
22:41will give you the maximum clean days. And I want to tell you that every day, if the 7th
22:47November was in Delhi, this time was 322 AQI, then the last time was 321 AQI. I will tell you that
22:52every day, I will tell you that every day, every day 50 points, 40 points, 30 points,
22:57it is less than that. Some of the 100 points are less than that. And this is how it is
23:01happening. But Sirsa Ji, 100 points are less than that. We want AQI 50 points. We don't
23:11want 50 points less. We want AQI 50 points. What is the plan to make it happen?
23:16No, no. If you have done this show last year, it will be better than that. But the problem
23:23is that you have done this show in the past few years and not just sit in front of you and
23:28I want to sit. And all of the TV channels say that I want to tell you that I want to tell
23:32me, I want to tell you. You have to be totally true, AQI should be less than 50. That is
23:36the government is working for it. But if you tell me, what can it happen? What can it happen?
23:41It can happen in 10 years. What can it happen in the past few years?
23:44It can happen in the past few months. It can happen in the past few months.
23:46It can happen in the past few months. I want to tell you that it can happen.
23:48No, I give it to you. You can't say that. I can't give it to you. I can't give it to you.
23:55There is an argument that is happening in Delhi. I get it. I get it. I get it.
24:01I get it. I get it.
24:06You are absolutely right and your question is not wrong.
24:09You are asking the question of Delhi people.
24:12There is no wrong thing in your questions.
24:14I want to tell you so much that Delhi's government has worked for this work.
24:18Yes.
24:19You talked about Delhi's government.
24:22While the weather is really bad outside, pollution levels escalate.
24:27We have seen that Delhi's government has ordered some 15 air purifiers.
24:34Do you think this is a solution?
24:37No, no, no.
24:38There are people who are standing there, who have no way.
24:42How can you justify it?
24:44Everyone can't take air purifiers.
24:46No, this is wrong.
24:48No, this is wrong.
24:50This is also wrong.
24:51I want to clarify you.
24:53Delhi's government has no air purifiers.
24:56This is a tender tender.
24:58This tender procedure was running from last 10 years.
25:01I send you a tender tender copy and you have the procedure.
25:05They did the procedure, and have it wrong.
25:07They did the same policy.
25:09They didn't do the same.
25:10Irwin Kejriwal, there were small 20 air purifiers on your homes.
25:14You are asking, you don't have any power from last year.
25:17The last year you are in the hospital!
25:19You have a crash in 10 years and 15 years.
25:21You have got a car.
25:22The other people had lost their home.
25:24I want to thank you for coming and taking all the questions and I want to really hope
25:54and I really hope Silsa Ji that you will see all the children of Delhi and with your hope that you will do something and their health will be good luck.
26:24Thank you, thank you Silsa Ji.
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