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Containing air pollution in Delhi

According to a 2014 WHO Study Report, Delhi is the most polluted city in the world when it comes to air quality. Needless to say, air pollution level in Delhi remains very high round the year (much worse in winter). In early November, the city witnessed a sudden spike in air pollution levels, reaching the "very severe" category. The city was under a blanket of smog leading to poor visibility, and people were advised to stay indoors. In response, the Delhi government announced a slew of emergency measures, which include, among others, shutting down schools, power plant, DG sets and construction activities, whereas 15-years-old vehicles and entry of trucks passing through Delhi were banned. Both the National Green Tribunal (NGT), and a Supreme Court-appointed Bench, ordered drastic measures to curb air pollution.

Air pollution is a complex issue and has many dimensions. There is a regional dimension to this problem. The recent spike in air pollution level has baffled experts as well. The crisis has, however, opened up an opportunity to rework strategies to control air pollution in the long term. The rapid rise in pollution due to stubble burning, brick kilns, stone quarrying, plying of diesel driven vehicles, etc. are contentious issues and require quick resolutions. However, emissions originating from sources like dust accumulation, burning of diesel and petroleum products, production of toxic chemicals, etc. would have to be curtailed. According to study report of IIT, Kanpur (2015) 38% of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and 56% of PM10 in the air is because of road dust.


Sweeping of road dust causes massive dust emission and clogs road drainage system. According to a news report, the Delhi government's proposed vacuum cleaning of roads to trap dust hasn't commenced as firms that have the machines do not seem interested in lending them. Moreover, the efficacy of these devices is also under question because of uneven roads. The washing of Delhi roads with water at regular intervals would be a preferred solution. Washing roads would not only arrest dust emission but also help in the cleaning of drains. Simultaneously, road side plantation work requires greater effort and intensity. For the uninitiated, plantations act as dust arrester. Construction work in Delhi and NCR cause high dust emissions. The building technology under adoption, (manually mixing of cement, sand, stone chips, etc. in open space and RCC castings) is highly polluting whereas prefabricated modular structure (PFMS) construction technology is less polluting. PFMS could be used in the construction activities.

Vehicular pollution has become a health hazard besides polluting the air. Reports indicate that number of vehicles in Delhi alone is more than that of Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore put together. These vehicles emit volumes of exhaust fumes and gases which severely impact human health. The country's fuel refineries are undergoing modification towards making clean fuel of BSVI standard. There is also a need to check the growing number of vehicles in Delhi through the imposition of taxes and disincentives for owning an old and second vehicle. Further, provision of public transport system would need to be improved. Delhi government had planned to add (1000) more buses in DTC this fiscal. Sadly the augmentation of DTC fleet is in limbo. As far as the provision of effective public transport alternatives is concerned the option like Delhi Ring Railway has not received adequate focus in the public discourse. It is this mode that needs to be strengthened and popularised through the provision of last mile connectivity. With increasing frequencies and last mile connectivity, ring railway would eliminate heavy vehicular load and ease traffic congestion. Incidentally, Minister of Railways had announced the Ring Railway revival plan in his budget speech 2016-17. However, there appears to be not much headway on both fronts.

Containing air pollution to this magnitude is a daunting task in the absence of an effective regulatory framework. Under the Air Act, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has the statutory power to issue closure orders or cut electricity or water supply to industries that do not meet norms, but it doesn't have powers to penalise erring municipalities. So CPCB's directions are not binding on them. This brings the issue of lack of enforcement, especially when dealing with municipal waste. Waste burning, accumulation of garbage in dhalaos and thick smoke and fires in landfill sites aggravate dust pollution. Segregation of household waste at the individual level needs to be promoted to avoid mixing of waste and complex segregation operations undertaken at the garbage dumps whereas vegetable and kitchen waste could be composted. A few composting plants involving citizens have already come up. Needless to say, Municipal Corporation has a significant role to play in maintaining air quality standards in the city. There are innovative schemes, waste reduction and user-friendly recycling programmes for disposal of hazardous waste, biomedical waste and e-waste. Instances of non-compliance with regulations on the disposal of biomedical waste by hospitals, labs, blood banks, etc. have found their way in reports. However, the Corporation needs adequate support for establishing state-of-the-art waste management facilities. It is possible to design these facilities for carrying out their operations with the assistance from the government. It is mentioned that waste to energy plants in Delhi are operating sub-optimally whereas another plant is going to be commissioned soon. Industries in Delhi generate hazardous waste, but there is no dedicated facility to treat the waste whereas the Hazardous Waste Management Act, prescribes establishing of such facility. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) is entrusted with the onerous task of monitoring pollution control work in Delhi. There are many small and medium-sized industries, etc. flouting pollution norms. Strengthening DPCC with the induction of professionals including domain experts from multidisciplinary subjects backed by infrastructure with proper road map will go a long way.

As the national capital, Delhi remains in the news, whereas 32 Indian cities declared as heavily polluted (WHO, 2016 report) deserve urgent attention. A region-wise institutional mechanism should be set up in the country wherein States will deliberate and monitor air quality, environmental standards and environmental issues periodically and also suggest corrective actions with CPCB as Convener.

(The writer is former Adviser, Planning Commission and Ex-Chief Executive, Haryana Environmental Management Society. Views expressed are strictly personal.)
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