‘MLAs, councillors shun key civic issues’

DELHI MLAS RAISED 24 QUESTIONS ON ISSUE OF POLLUTION IN THE ASSEMBLY IN 2015.

THE NUMBER WENT DOWN TO EIGHT IN 2016

Addressing water woes was one of the main election promises of the Aam Aadmi Party, but complaints on water crisis in the city has only increased — from 1, 50,885 in 2015 to 2,27,444 in 2016 (51%).

What is more worrisome is that only 31 questions related to water crisis was asked by MLAs in assembly in 2015 and 38 in 2016. Six MLAs did not raise any civic issue in 2015 and 2016.

The figures were revealed in a white paper, released by Praja Foundation, on civic issues registered by citizens, and deliberations by municipal councillors at Delhi MCDs and MLAs in the state assembly sessions between January 2014 and December 2016.

Even the BJP-led municipal corporations do not fare better. They have raised 83 questions in 2015; the number remained the same in 2016.

Pollution is another issue that both the councillors and MLAs have failed to raise. This, at a time when pollution in Delhi has reached a dangerous level, with the capital falling among the top five cities with worst air pollution in the country between 2015 and 2016, according to a statement by environment ministry.

The citizens’ complaints on pollution increased from 86 in 2014 to 142 in 2015 and 216 in 2016. However, for the same three years, the number of issues raised by councillors in ward committees remained same — at three issues each year. MLAs raised 24 questions in 2015. It went down to eight in 2016.

Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment, said that political recognition of the problems is important. “Public awareness has increased. Air pollution should become a political issue,” she said.

Despite 1,092 fire-related complaints filed in 2015 and 1,032 in 2016, (more than three fires a day) no questions were raised by MLAs in last two years. Only one question related to fire was raised by councillors in 2015, and none in 2016.

In one of the worst outbreaks, a total of more than 9,000 cases of chikunguniya and 4,431 cases of dengue were reported in Delhi till December 24, 2016. About 11,099 complaints were made, but only one question was raised by MLAs. The councillors raised 159 questions.