'Enforcement agencies not implementing directions to curb pollution'

New Delhi : Stressing that Delhi is decaying and dying due to air pollution, the Supreme Court-appointed EPCA on Monday slammed the enforcement authorities for failing to implement its directions to control pollution.

Bhure Lal, chairperson of the EPCA -- Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority -- the nodal agency which issues directions to curb pollution in Delhi-NCR, also stressed on his stand on "minimising private vehicles in Delhi".

Criticising the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and municipal corporations, he said: "How can we aspire to breathe when even court orders are being defied."

"We have to confront the problems but enforcing agencies are dormant and indulge in blame game," the EPCA chairman said, referring to the enforcement authorities of Delhi, while speaking at an event held by think tank Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) on challenges faced by Delhi-NCR.

Speaking at the lecture, Bhure Lal called to preserve Delhi. "It is need of the hour to preserve Delhi. It is decaying and dying," Lal said.

He also stressed on the need to increase the public transport, especially the bus fleet of the city, saying that in Delhi "there are more cars per family than the family members".

"Delhi presently requires 15,000 buses but there are just 5,000 buses," he said.

Standing by his earlier call, which he made last week, Lal said "private car driving is a burden on each individual" and people should opt for public transport.

"The solutions are stopping open burning, using public transport and plant as many trees as one can," Bhure Lal suggested as three things to resolve the current pollution issue of Delhi.