Climate change affects Delhiites, their survey says

Over 90 per cent Delhiites feel that climate change is having an impact in the capital, revealed a survey by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) on Tuesday.

A total of 1,500 people have been interviewed in the Delhi-NCR.

The survey covered eight cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Coimbatore, Guwahati, Indore, Jamshedpur, Kanpur and Pune.

The focus of the survey was on the general environment, and in particular, water and waste related issues, said the study.

In Delhi, 95 per cent people said that the temperature has been increasing in the city and 64 per cent responded that the rainfall is on the decline.

Though environmentalists have mixed reaction on the ‘perception studies’. “To conduct a perception survey on the climate change is too far-fetched,” said Gopal Krishna, member Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties.

In Delhi, a large percentage of respondents expressed their ignorance on the intensity and frequency of climate change in the city.

Only 15 per cent citizens said that there was no conflict between the objectives of environmental protection and development.

Over 50 per cent favoured prioritising environment over development.

Air quality in Delhi, however, was said to have worsened by over 50 per cent of the respondents.

R K Pachauri, Director General, TERI, said that the TERI has focused on cities which normally do not get the kind of attention they deserve.

 “If we want to bring about improvement in environmental quality, then there should be awareness among the masses. I hope through this survey we are able to bring about the level of awareness that really lays the foundation for action in the right direction,” Pachauri said.

“If we don’t, then we would all be taken over by urban blight.”

Almost 95 per cent of the respondents felt that water was being wasted and only five per cent viewed otherwise.

Among reasons for wastage, 70 per cent said that the pattern of usage by the citizens caused wastage as people use more than what was actually required.