Those who know, visit, and live in Delhi or the National Capital Region (NCR) hate the summer season. Winter, preceded by autumn, actually brings relief and much necessary respite. But we have a different story to share.
India’s capital Delhi, a sprawling metropolis housing approximately 33 million people, has the dubious distinction of being the world’s most polluted city. The one-time celebrity mood of Delhi winter – once known for merrymaking, tourism, and family picnic – now has done a vanishing act as the air quality in the entire NCR remains severe and a thick blanket of smog envelops the national capital. The visibility is badly affected by the smog. There are serious health concerns.
The air quality index (AQI) has entered the ‘severe category’ once again this year. This is a typically normal and annual feature. Experts say that it is due to combustion, and that is contributed by multiple factors, including a huge number of vehicles, power consumption, and burning of agricultural wastes in neighbouring states, chiefly Punjab and Haryana, and industrial- and construction-related activities.
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| North East India: Fresh air |
It goes without stating that in such a season, exposure needs to be avoided because pollution is directly responsible for many diseases like stroke, heart diseases, asthma and even diabetes and Alzheimer. The concentration of PM 2.5 tiny particulate pollution is serious. These can clog the lungs.
So where do people go, and what do all of us interested in a strong, economically sound and healthy India should do?
In 2016, the then union environment secretary AN Jha, I recall, had pulled up the neighbouring states and said that “weak enforcement mechanism” was responsible for the alarming air quality. In 2015, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had issued a 42-point order to the states on short-, medium- and long-term measures to take necessary steps, including curbing crop burning and garbage burning.
Stubble burning has been controlled to a large extent, except in Punjab. But again this year, we are back to square one and that is why this issue is a matter of great concern. Haryana Agriculture Minister Jai Prakash Dalal has slammed the Bhagwant Mann government of the AAP in Punjab over stubble-burning in the state.
There are media reports that the farmers in the paddy heartland of Punjab and Haryana have reportedly also shown minimal interest in adopting the Pusa bio-decomposer, a technology developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). These make the job more complex. It is usual practice every year by the city government in Delhi to announce school holidays for days together.
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| Un-welcome to Delhi !! |
In 2016, one can recall, the Delhi government under Arvind Kejriwal had come in for sharp criticism from the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The NGT had flayed Delhi and a few other state governments in all adjoining states for not taking adequate steps to control crop burning and necessary measures to check pollution.
Interestingly, the NGT also wanted to know from the Delhi government if any scientific studies were done to decide about shutting schools due to air pollution.
Future roadmap
The future roadmap vis-à-vis concern about pollution in Delhi and the NCR should be action-oriented, based on scientific studies. Actually there is no point finding blame(s) in one another. People of Delhi much appreciably every year are these days adopting eco-friendly Diwali celebrations by refraining from firecrackers. There is no gainsaying to point out that this can make a significant difference in reducing air pollution. In terms of government-level actions, we know that the central and a few state governments have also worked to “incentivise farmers,” especially in Punjab and Haryana, to adopt alternative methods for crop residue management.
Even subsidies are being offered to reduce stubble burning and encourage the use of crop residue. But still one feels that we have not attained much success. Thus, there is a need to study things more seriously. It is also important to note that pollution and environmental concerns can affect lives in other metropolises such as Mumbai and Bengaluru also. It is time to learn lessons from the experience of Delhi.
Now let us focus on the challenges and how things stand on ground – most often for men/women faults, but also due to natural and Delhi’s geographical location.
According to a study compiled by the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute, the residents of Delhi are likely to lose 11.9 years of life expectancy due to the detrimental air they breathe. It is not wrong to state that pollution has now become a recurring catastrophe.
Now, coming to the issue of stubble fires, it is a matter of concern that in the AAP-ruled Punjab, there was about 740 per cent increase in the same in just a single day this year. These agricultural fires release a substantial volume of pollutants affecting air quality.
Experts say that Delhi’s geographical location also plays a role. Calm winds, temperature inversions, and reduced vertical mixing of the atmosphere increase the complexity of the problem. There is “atmospheric stagnation” and this traps pollutants close to the surface.
As a result, there is also accumulation of harmful particulate matter and gases.
The stagnant atmospheric conditions prevent the dispersion of pollutants and these lead to the accumulation of smog. It is also being realised that Delhi’s ever-increasing vehicular population continues to be a major source of air pollution. The problem is compounded by outdated and heavily polluting vehicles. The authorities have taken steps and ensured transition to cleaner fuels. Old vehicles beyond 15 years are banned and electric vehicles have come in. However, the impact or chances of improving the air quality is still time taking. Hence, the urgency, and we need to do more, with multi-pronged strategies.
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| M Chuba Ao : Candid |
Then comes the issue of industrial pollution. Delhi, we often do not realise, is also home to a sizable number of industries. There are several places in the metropolis which are actually hubs of illegal factories. Rapid urbanisation and construction activities in Delhi also result in a substantial amount of dust and particulate matter being released into the air.
As a public leader, my contention will be that, to deal with complex problems like these, we have to focus on public awareness and encouraging people to appreciate individual responsibility to play a key role in tackling the growing menace of air pollution. Delhiites will do well to start carpooling and using public transport like the metro.
The sum and substance, one can underline here, is that reducing air pollution will call for a holistic approach by all stakeholders. Let us stop the blame game.
As far as my understanding of things go, solar power should be encouraged. Inverters may be encouraged for backup supply and diesel generator sets should not be allowed to run. Authorities would do well by taking steps for installation of solar panels at homes and multistorey buildings. The coal-based thermal power plants have only added a lot to Delhi’s air pollution problems.
There are other issues. There is a constant increase in population and related developmental activities at the cost of environmental damage. It’s a fact that the development of Delhi city and the adjoining region has largely been unplanned.
It is estimated that as high as 8,000 m tonnes of solid waste is generated in Delhi every day. But it has been reported that authorities manage to clear only about 5000 to 5500 m tonnes of waste daily.
Then come fossil fuels, whose burning causes a lot of emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere. The joke we often hear is, while Himalayas obstruct the ‘escape route’ of the air, there is no such mountain ranges to stop ‘landlocked’ Delhi get/receive the northwesterly winds coming sometimes even from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Jokes apart, winters add to the problems because of low-level inversion.
(Dr M Chuba Ao is BJP national vice president. The views expressed are personal.)
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