Practice what you preach!

Nowhere is the gap between precept and practice more evident than our very own city. "Reduce the carbon trail" screams a huge hoarding put up by the GHMC on one of the prominent roads in the city. 

However, even while you are about to finish the sentence, plumes of smoke billow into your face blurring your vision. To beat your assumption of the vehicle being a lorry or a truck, a local RTC bus passes by, more often than not, after jumping a red light.

And how on earth did this happen you wonder! Well, the Pollution Control Board (PCB), has prescribed a certain level of emission to all the vehicles which the common man or the 'aam aadmi', to borrow the Congress party's pet phrase,  scrupulously follows, at least for the most part. Then what happens to government vehicles? Why is it that they are the worst offenders? Don't the same rules apply to them too? Who checks these vehicles?

The transport department and the PCB between them, share the responsibility of reducing the level of carbon monoxide emitted by the vehicles in the city. However, neither seems to be doing its job! Reason? They take refuge in the excuse that they are understaffed or lack the infrastructure, machinery to carry out their responsibilities.

Then don't you think the sloganeering adopted by GHMC is nothing more than a platitude? Also, spare a thought for the hapless cop who stands at the signal, a mute witness to obsolete vehicles spewing carbon monoxide into his face and yours.

It's ironic that that  such a polluted city is playing host to the bio-diversity summit !

How can one reduce the level of pollution in the city then? Shouldn't there be stringent rules not just for the common man, but also the government whose vehicles, including the ones on government duty used by the babus and the public transport buses, which contribute the most to polluting the air we breathe.

The automobile companies are working overtime, doing research to manufacture low emission vehicles. When the private businesses are doing their jobs, isn't it the duty of the government to do their bit? We know the answer to this question, but the reason we ask is because we hope that the government wakes up and does something about it. We're already blinded and asphyxiated by smoke spewing out of state-owned vehicles.

Reshmi@sakshipost