Govt determined to not let Delhi smog-like situation recur: Environment secretary

Environment secretary CK Mishra says no single authority can be held responsible for the Delhi smog.

The Centre is determined to not let the Delhi smog-like situation recur, environment secretary CK Mishra said on Monday and asserted that no single authority can be held responsible.

Cyclists ride along a road as heavy fog engulfs the city, at Raisina Hill, in New Delhi. (Sonu Mehta/HT File Photo)

If harsh measures are called for, “so be it”, Mishra said at an event hosted by WWF India where he launched a report on ‘Clean Energy Innovation Ecosystem in the SME sector in India’.

“We recently witnessed the Delhi smog, but no single authority can be held responsible for it. If the government has failed, then those who are emitting should also take responsibility,” he said.

To address environmental issues, individual efforts need to galvanise into a collective goal for the government and society as whole, Mishra, who also holds the portfolio of climate change, said.

“But, as a government, we are determined to not let the Delhi smog-like situation happen again. And, we are concerned not just for the national capital but for the whole India.

“If harsh measures are needed to ensure that, then so be it. Because we care for human lives,” he said.