A thoughtless blunder

Delhi residents gathered at India Gate on Nov 9 to protest against the city’s air pollution crisis, demanding concrete action and effective measures to address the issue. The Delhi government has failed to provide clean air. Consider its monumental failure.

 The artificial rain project in Delhi (cloud-seeding), turned out to be a damp squib. Reportedly, funds to the extent of Rs 3 crores were thrown down the drain on the futile experiment that was carried out ignoring the meteorologists  advising its deferment due to absence of optimum atmospheric moisture. What were the compulsions under which the project was undertaken against the experts’ advice?

How did the political class and the bureaucracy defy logic and accountability? The Delhi government will have a lot to explain. The C&AG and the anti-corruption agencies must conduct an inquiry into the circumstances that led to the wastage of tax payers' money without an iota of benefit. Further, the officials responsible for the lapse, must be identified and awarded an appropriate penalty. The national capital continues to suffer pollution with a haze of dust and high AQI.

A K Saxena (Former civil servant)