Playing with facts
the Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company ( telco ) filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court in the case regarding air pollution in Delhi on October 4, 1999. It appeared to misrepresent the World Health Organisation's view that there are no safe levels of particulate pollution, and undermined the seriousness of air pollution and the death and disease that results from it in Indian cities, Delhi in particular. But the who official who was quoted in the affidavit was present in Delhi on that very day to verify the organisation's stand and prove the company wrong.
Two explanations are possible: either telco does not understand the significance of who 's views or it is trying to spread misinformation on the issue of particulate pollution. The first would indicate that the company does not have enough professionals who can understand scientific matters and thus is not serious about the slow murder that air pollution is causing in Delhi. The second could mean an effort to mislead the Court on the sensitive matter. The affidavit is in response to a proposal by the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority ( epca ) to ban registration of private diesel cars in Delhi that is being considered by the Court. epca has made this proposal as part of its ongoing efforts to find solutions to the air pollution problem.
While there is alarm all over the world about the deadly effects of suspended particulate matter, especially in view of who 's warning that there is no safe level for particulates, telco has obfuscated the issue by interpreting who 's position as follows: "...(the) threshold for the onset of the health effects has not yet been detected for particulate emissions. This means that the safe levels have not yet been identified, which is totally different from stating (as epca has done) that there is no safe level of particulate pollution.' Thus, telco 's effort could amount to misleading the Court by claiming that who is yet to
Related Content
- Understanding investment, trade, and battery waste management linkages for a globally competitive EV manufacturing sector
- Air quality life index: annual update 2021
- National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) 2019-20: Key Indicators for 22 States/UTs from Phase – 1
- State of knowledge of soil biodiversity: status, challenges and potentialities
- State of Global Air 2020
- Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding large scale felling of trees in the Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, 30/08/2019