We all need to do much more: Dia Mirza on tackling air pollution crisis

2 hours ago

In an exclusive interview with India Today TV, Dia Mirza, actor and UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador, shared her thoughts on the rising air pollution crisis across the country, why it's rising and on how to tackle it.

Transcript

00:00Hello and welcome to this week's Roundtable.

00:05India is facing an emergency.

00:08An air emergency, A-I-R.

00:11Every year, the onset of the winter months

00:14sees a spike in the air quality index

00:17and it's getting worse by the year.

00:19Not just the national capital region in and around Delhi,

00:23but every Indian city seems to be breathing,

00:26worsening air quality.

00:27Mumbai, the commercial capital of the country,

00:31also bathed in smog.

00:34Why and what can be done to ensure your and my right to breathe,

00:39the right to breathe of every Indian citizen,

00:43breathe clean air.

00:45That's what we will discuss on this special Roundtable.

00:48But first, I want to go to all my guests one by one

00:52and I have two very special guests

00:54who are joining me at the very outset on this air emergency debate.

00:59My first guest is Diyah Mirza, actor,

01:02but also the Environment Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations

01:06who also works with the UN on sustainable development goals.

01:10Thanks very much, Diyah, for joining us.

01:13I'm calling it the air emergency debate

01:15because the truth is we have an air emergency.

01:18Just look at the air quality index in the national capital,

01:21in Mumbai, across the country.

01:23Some of the worst, most polluted cities are in India.

01:26We are breathing toxic air.

01:28What's your first thought when you hear of the depressing numbers

01:31that are coming out about just how polluted our cities are?

01:35Rajdeep, as a mother, it's a reality that I'm confronted by every day.

01:44And it's something that is not new

01:46because it's something that we've been acutely aware of

01:49for over a decade now.

01:51And Anumita Roy Chaudhary, who's on this conversation,

01:54will agree with me when I say that

01:57when we first started talking about the importance

01:59to monitor the air quality levels in many cities,

02:04we were dealing with cities unwilling to install air monitoring systems

02:10because they didn't want it to affect tourism and industry.

02:14And so we've come some way since then.

02:17At least now we have the systems to monitor the air,

02:19which is why there is better public awareness and knowledge about it.

02:23Of course, the stark reality is that you can see how polluted the air is.

02:27While I was driving out last night,

02:30this skyscape that Mumbai looks to with such pride

02:34and that sea link that Mumbai looks to with such pride

02:36was invisible behind the blanket of smog.

02:39You couldn't see that there was a city beyond that space,

02:43which is horrifying.

02:46But that is not to acknowledge the fact that,

02:52one, Mumbai and many other cities in the country

02:56deal with poor AQI levels year-round,

03:01other than the monsoon months.

03:03So it's the monsoon months where the sky's turned blue

03:05and everybody, especially parents,

03:07heave a sigh of relief because I know,

03:09we know our children are breathing cleaner air.

03:12But for a large part of the year,

03:15unlike the northern parts of the country,

03:17we deal with AQI levels which are 10 times the permissible limit.

03:26The fact is that, Rajdeep,

03:2880% of the world's most polluted cities are in India.

03:33It is, as you have rightfully called this conversation,

03:37an emergency.

03:38The good news, though,

03:41is that finally I think

03:43there is more public understanding of the issue.

03:47There are more people willing to participate in solutions.

03:50You see young people coming up

03:52with extraordinary innovations every day,

03:54trying to filter, you know,

03:56the pollution out,

03:58whether it's from vehicles or factories

04:00or other emitters.

04:03But we need to do much more

04:08to galvanize support

04:10to ensure that industries

04:12are held more accountable.

04:14So a big part of Mumbai's pollution right now

04:17is construction dust

04:18and has been for the last few years.

04:22Because if I just look at only my ward, Rajdeep,

04:25which is H-ward,

04:26we have over 2,500 buildings under construction.

04:30And these are not new constructions.

04:32So old buildings are being broken, demolished,

04:35and new buildings are coming up in its place.

04:37And every time,

04:39one of us as citizens

04:40goes past one of these buildings

04:42flouting the norms,

04:44which is to ensure that the dust is controlled,

04:47there are proper green fencing done,

04:48there's, you know,

04:49sprinklers being used to contain the dust levels,

04:52and we ignore it.

04:54You know, the fact is,

04:55two points come from what you've said.

04:58One, you're saying there is greater public awareness.

05:00But I must be honest,

05:01I don't see enough people like you

05:03coming out and making this a cause

05:06that can become a national campaign.

05:09Everyone complains that the air is polluted.

05:11But why don't I see a complete movement for this?

05:14We've seen it in Western countries,

05:15green parties emerging,

05:16making environment the centerpiece of their politics.

05:19Here people complain,

05:20but not enough are willing to walk the talk

05:23when it comes to making this a wide movement

05:25and holding governments accountable.

05:31I couldn't agree more with you.

05:33I couldn't agree more with the fact

05:34that many, many, many more of us

05:36need to become aware of how

05:38integral environmental health is to human health,

05:42how this is a matter of human rights,

05:44and how this is a matter of social justice,

05:46and how just as parents or as children of elderly parents,

05:52we can't hope for our children and the health

05:56of our elderly at home to be stable or good.

06:01We can't hope for their peace or their prosperity

06:03if you don't have them growing up

06:05in a healthy environment.

06:06And it shouldn't be a central issue.

06:09It's most unfortunate that it's not.

06:11But I think what happens for the most part

06:14is that those who are informed and aware

06:17are doing what they can.

06:20Most people aren't as aware as they need to be.

06:24And even if they are,

06:25perhaps they don't have the time

06:27and the bandwidth and the will to pursue.

06:31Which brings me to the other point.

06:33As you're right,

06:33there's only so much that citizens can do.

06:36The real focus has to be

06:38what are we going to get our governments to do?

06:40Whether at the center or in the state.

06:42Construction work you mentioned.

06:44A lot of illegal work carries on

06:46and the dust spreads right around the year.

06:48Factories that are emitting noxious fumes

06:51and are clearly the factories

06:56that need to move out of the cities.

06:58It's the government which is supposed to act.

07:01You said the government support air monitors at last.

07:04But that's an incremental change.

07:05Why don't I see governments doing enough

07:08to make air pollution a central issue?

07:10Why do you think

07:11surely the buck must stop with these governments?

07:16Clean air is a fundamental right to life.

07:20It's the right to breathe.

07:22And how can that be something

07:24that we can escape as a guarantee?

07:26Our constitution guarantees us this, right?

07:30It's not even...

07:32It's baffling, Rajdeep,

07:34that environmental protection and health

07:37remains a complete, you know,

07:42underserved priority.

07:45It doesn't even seem like it's a priority

07:47for any government.

07:48Okay, you know, because many believe,

07:52you know, Diyam Mirza,

07:53that there are no votes to be garnered

07:55through clean air.

07:56Let me be honest.

07:57Politicians want votes.

07:58So they will play caste cards,

08:00they will play community cards,

08:01but they won't play the air card.

08:03So at the end of the day,

08:05like with the green parties in the West,

08:07we need to find ways in making air quality

08:11a central political issue,

08:14a fundamental right to breathe.

08:16If there was one advice, therefore,

08:17that you would give as a UN ambassador

08:19to government and citizens on air quality,

08:22what would it be?

08:23What's that one quality?

08:24What do we all need to do?

08:28It would be to prioritize

08:30the environmental health over everything else.

08:32Because if we don't have access to clean air,

08:36what will you do with gadi and kapda and makara?

08:41So the entire approach to

08:47and understanding of progress

08:49needs to be re-evaluated.

08:52And what would you tell your fellow celebrities?

08:55Why can't I see them campaigning

08:57across the country saying,

08:59we want our right to breathe.

09:01All of you stand in front of India gate.

09:03Maybe things will change.

09:06I agree with you.

09:08I mean, my hope has always been

09:10that more of us would come forward

09:12to participate in what truly matters.

09:14But I have to admit, Rajdeep,

09:17that I've been,

09:18as somebody who's been consistently at it

09:20for over two decades,

09:21it can be deeply,

09:25I mean, it can be disorienting,

09:28to say the least.

09:30And it's not easy.

09:31And it requires a lot of will

09:33and gumption to be able

09:34to keep asking the same questions.

09:36As you know,

09:38the climate is not one that is permissive

09:41of demanding any form of accountability.

09:45And I know most people are afraid

09:47to ask tough questions.

09:49But I think as, you know,

09:52citizens of our country,

09:53especially as parents,

09:54and so many of my colleagues now

09:56are young parents

09:57who have just had children,

09:58who are so young

09:59and are going to school.

10:00And I'm sure many of them

10:01are grappling with the harsh reality

10:03of breathing polluted air.

10:05I have a son who's developed asthma.

10:07My mother has COPD.

10:09These are realities

10:10that practically every home

10:11is dealing with.

10:12So, yes,

10:13we all need to do much more.

10:15And yes,

10:16we all need to mobilize efforts

10:18to improve accountability,

10:21not just from governments,

10:22but even of ourselves.

10:23Can we manage our waste better?

10:26Can we drive electric?

10:27Can we make sure

10:29that we are, you know,

10:31filing complaints

10:32when we see building construction,

10:35flouting norms and rules?

10:39There are so many things

10:41that citizens

10:41that we can participate in improving

10:44along with using our voices

10:45to demand change.

10:47I'm going to leave it there, Diyamirza.

10:49Good to have a celebrity

10:51who's walking the talk

10:52when it comes to the environment.

10:54Thanks very much for joining me.

We all need to do much more: Dia Mirza on tackling air pollution crisis

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