Will Ministers Listen To This?

Honking without any valid reasons and running blaring loud speaker at every possible opportunity are two of the favourite pastime for the politicians in India. The problem is more severe in Maharashtra. In this background, the news came as a fresh air.

In a bid to curb the menace of pollution, Environment Department of Maharashtra has recommended the ministers to cut down honking and avoid use of fire crackers in official programmes. Environment Minister Suresh Shetty informed the Legislative Council in Mumbai.

In Pune, the problem is especially seen during the rush hour. People seem to be in so hurry that every traffic signal is filled with noise of horns. The Department, at least on the paper, is trying to reduce noise and air pollution.

For a change, the debate on which Shetty gave above reply was started by Shiv Sena MLC Deepak Sawant who raised the issue of global warming and its impact on the environment.