Hazy horizon

As Delhi smothers in rising pollution, the Delhi Government and Centre continue their blame game on who is responsible. As the pollution levels in Delhi soar, the city finds itself at the centre of a battle against the toxic air.

Claiming that the “persistent issue of pollution” has decreased since the Aam Aadmi Party came to power in Delhi eight years ago, Kejriwal stated that there has been a decrease in the level of pollution by 30 per cent as compared to 2014.

In the past several years, the state government and its various civic agencies have announced a Winter Action Plan at the onset of the season, with multiple steps to combat and curb Delhi’s pollution, along with identifying the city’s hotspots observing the highest Air Quality Index (AQI). This year, the Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, announced a 15-point plan on September 29, involving stubble burning, vehicular pollution, open burning, dust pollution and other issues.

In a detailed revelation, Vijay Fulara, Advisor to the Environment Minister, unfolded the measures, challenges, and plans instituted by the Delhi government in an attempt to curb the growing environmental crisis.

Fulara spoke optimistically about the city’s progress, stating, “This year, the number of days with air quality outside the poor category has reached 206, compared to only 109 days in 2015. While talking about the long term plans he asserted that, “we are working towards increasing the green belt of the city, increasing the number of electric buses, providing 24x7 electricity, and implementing an EV policy.”

Additionally, recently Environment Minister Gopal Rai disclosed that a dedicated 6-member Special Task Force, led by the Environment Special Secretary, has also been established to monitor and enforce GRAP rules effectively. The minister highlighted significant achievements, including the inspection of 3,895 construction sites, resulting in fines totalling Rs 1.85 crore. Additionally, 16,689 vehicles violating GRAP-IV regulations were fined, and 6,046 trucks were turned away from Delhi borders. An Anti-Open Burning campaign led to 154 challans, with fines amounting to Rs 3.95 lakhs.

However, as Delhi grapples with a pollution crisis, the government’s claim of insufficient support from the central government adds a layer of complexity to the narrative. While the fight for clean air continues, the coordination between states and the centre remains a crucial factor in realizing a pollution-free future for the national capital.

One of the significant contributors to Delhi’s pollution is stubble burning. Responding to allegations that the AAP-led government cannot deflect blame for stubble burning in Punjab as they are the ruling party there now, Fulara stated, “We are constantly in touch with the Punjab government. We have also suggested them to educate the farmers regarding the same so that the cases of stubble burning decrease.” Notably, Fulara highlighted a positive shift as per the NASA reports, indicating around 50 per cent reduction in stubble burning cases in Punjab this year compared to the previous year.

“While in Delhi, bio-decomposer had been sprayed on 2,573 acres of land, with ongoing plans for additional fields.”

Simultaneously, the Delhi government has undertaken an ambitious afforestation plan, aiming to increase the city’s green cover from the current 23.6% to 27% by 2025. Despite achieving over 80% of the set target, the urban areas of Delhi still struggle with a 20% green cover. Fulara acknowledged the challenges, stating, “Delhi has one of the highest Green Cover in the entire country. Green cover in Delhi’s urban areas is around 20%, while in the rural areas, it is about 60%. Achieving the 20% standard was not easy due to the city’s infrastructure, but we are working to spread it more.”

Recently, the ban on firecrackers in Delhi, supported by the Supreme Court, faced resistance from BJP leaders who claimed it went against Sanathan dharma. Fulara contested these claims, stating, “The truth is Sanathan Dharma is in danger after the BJP has come into power. They don’t care about the citizens of the city. It was a planned tactic to destroy the image of AAP. All the crackers were brought from UP and Haryana. BJP targeted the areas where pollution was likely to occur more and deliberately burst the crackers there.”

Adding to the pollution woe, buses running on banned fuels from neighbouring states continue to enter Delhi. Fulara expressed the government’s frustration, saying, “We have also written letters to the neighbouring states demanding action on the entry of non-destined vehicles to Delhi via Haryana and UP.” Despite Delhi’s Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, urging strict implementation of directives, there has been no response.

While in an effort to explore innovative solutions, the Delhi government considered artificial rain, with a presentation from IIT Kanpur. However, bureaucratic hurdles, including the need for NOCs and approval from the central government, has been one of the reasons to have put the initiative on pause. Fulara highlighted the ongoing challenges, stating, “NOCs are required from agencies along with approval from the central government. Although we are ready to fund the initiative, but we also need the centre’s support.”

One of the significant setbacks in Delhi’s pollution control efforts is the halting of the Smog Tower project. Fulara revealed, “The project on which the Delhi government has spent Rs 23.63 crores was lying idle and unused in the peak pollution season.” Despite clear instructions from the Supreme Court and the Council of Ministers, the smog tower was not restarted after the monsoon months and was eventually shut down. Only after the Supreme Court’s intervention did the smog tower resume operations.

Furthermore, the DPCC’s Real-time Source Apportionment study, crucial for identifying the main causes of pollution, also faced interruptions with little support from the central government. Fulara emphasized the importance of the study, stating, “The study was very important as it was the way to know about the main cause of pollution. The government makes a plan and takes measures according to the cause of the pollution which is revealed through the study.”

Furthermore, Anil Gupta, board member of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) denied this claim and said, “The Delhi Government is only working towards cosmetic cover-ups. Air pollution is not a one-day job. In the past few years, we have not achieved a single day where the AQI has been good, or under 50. It has always ranged from 150-200 which falls under the poor category. In fact, Delhi has the accreditation of having Red Letter Days, where our AQI has been 999, the highest it can record, in 2019 and again this year.”.

He further explained that the air quality is based on eight pollutants, Particulate Matter or PM10, PM2.5, NO2 (Nitrogen Dioxide), SO2 (Sulphur Dioxide), O3 (Ozone), NH3 (Ammonia) and Pb (lead). In Delhi, all parameters except the particulate matter are good.

“The pollution in Delhi can mainly be attributed to three things. One is dust. A huge contributor to this is construction and demolition (C&D) waste. Delhi generated almost 11,000 tonnes of C&D waste every day, out of which 3,100 tonnes cannot be disposed of. This is either dumped in

open ground or found lying around. The other source is a lack of wind speed, which does not let the pollutants disperse,” explained Gupta.

According to him, the third major cause of pollution in the national capital was stubble burning. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has found that while vehicular emission and construction dust are present year-round, the sudden rise of pollution around this time can be related to the crop residue burning. The situation has significantly worsened, particularly in the last decade.

Local residents who have lived in Delhi for a long time attest to this.

“Earlier we would plan picnics in the Winter with family or go for regular morning jogs. But in the last few years, Delhi’s air quality has deteriorated so much that I prefer to stay indoors. I am even scared for my grandchildren when they have to go to school in this condition,” said Anand Mishra, a 68-year-old resident of Kailash Colony.

“The Delhi Government used to claim that everything in relation to pollution is because of Punjab. But now that they are in power in the state, they have suddenly changed their tune. Why were 900 cases reported in Punjab alone, with 300 in one constituency itself? They have also been blaming the Central Government for not helping. With them, when you are hitting the highs, then it is only the Aam Aadmi Party, and when you are hitting the lows, then it’s everyone,” said Neoma Gupta, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Spokesperson.

Views expressed are personal