Delhi Air Pollution

WHY IN NEWS?

2023 October in Delhi is turned out to be the most polluted since 2020.

(A total of 39 Indian cities featured on the list of world’s 50 most polluted cities, stated the fifth World Air Quality Report prepared by IQAir based on the annual average level of pollutant PM2.5 in air).

GENESIS OF AIR POLLUTION IN DELHI:

1. Stubble Burning:

National capital shares its border with the states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Their farmers burn rice stubbles which is estimated that approximately 35 million tonnes of crop. The wind carries all the pollutants and dust particles, which have got locked in the air.

2. Vehicular Pollution:

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and he National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) have declared vehicular emission as a major contributor to Delhi’s increasing air pollution. Over-population also enhanced the air pollution.

3. Winter season:

As the winter season sets in, dust particles and pollutants in the air become unable to move. Due to stagnant winds, these pollutants get locked in the air and affect weather conditions, resulting in smog.

4. Investing less on public infrastructure:

In India, investment in public transport and infrastructure is low which leads to congested roads, and hence air pollution.

5. Large scale construction in Delhi-NCR is another reason that is increasing dust and pollution in the air.
6. Industrial pollution and garbage dumps are also increasing air pollution and building-up smog in the air.

RELATED CASES:

1. Arjun Gopal & Others Vs Union of India & Others 2018: Supreme Court directs that… crackers with reduced emission (improved crackers) and green crackers, only would be permitted to be manufactured and sold.

2. Supreme Court in C. Mehta vs. Union India case (Delhi Pollution Case) delivered its historic judgment in 1996 giving various directions including banning the use of coal and cake and directing the industries to compressed natural gas (CNG). (Polluter Pays Principle)
3. Delhi air pollution case:

Vardhaman Kaushik, a young environment lawyer moved the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2014 on air pollution in Delhi.

The NGT ordered all diesel vehicles, private and commercial, over 10 years old off Delhi-NCR’s roads to help clean the Capital’s toxic air. The action follows NGT’s November 2014 order banning all vehicles 15 years and older in Delhi.

ROLE OF GEOGRAPHY AND WEATHER IN DELHI’S POLLUTION:

1. Direction of wind:
2. During the southwest monsoon, the prevalent direction of the wind is easterly.
3. The winds travel from over the Bay of Bengal, carrying moisture and rainfall to this part of the country. Once the monsoon withdraws, however, the predominant direction of the winds changes to north-westerly.
4. These winds carry particulate matter (essentially smoke and soot) from crop-burning in Punjab to the area above Delhi, and then onward down the Gangetic basin.

2. Fall in Temperature:
3. As temperature gets cooler, the inversion height which is the layer beyond which pollutants cannot disperse into the upper atmosphere comes down.
4. When that happens, larger concentrations of pollutants in the air hang closer to the surface, and lead to worsening AQIs.

 IMPACTS OF THESE POLLUTANTS:

More harmful pollutants are those of a smaller size. Ex: PM 2.5

Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5:

1. Diameter smaller than 2.5 micrometres.
2. It causes respiratory problems and reduces visibility.
3. The particles can only be detected with the help of an electron microscope because they are so small.
4. Due to their size, the PM 2.5 particles can easily bypass the nose and throat and can easily enter the circulatory system.
5. The particles can also lead to cause chronic diseases such as asthma, heart attack, bronchitis and other respiratory problems.

IMPACTS OF AIR POLLUTION:

1. Harming Human Health.

• India, with 18% of the world’s population, has 26% of the global premature deaths and disease burden due to air pollution.
• One in eight deaths in India was attributable to air pollution in India in 2017.
• 4 lakh deaths in India in 2017 were due to air pollution, which included 6.7 lakh deaths due to outdoor particulate matter air pollution and 4.8 lakh deaths due to household air pollution.
• Air pollution killed an estimated 1.6 million people in India in 2019, according to a Lancet Report.

2. Harming Animals and Plants.
3. Causing Acid Rain.

Ex: Taj Mahal’s white marble deteriorates due to this acid rain.

4. Reducing Sunlight.
5. Making a Hole in the Ozone Layer.
6. Adding Too Much Nitrogen to the Land.
7. Effects of Greenhouse Gas Pollution.
8. Urban Heat Island Effect

Ex: High levels of air pollution intensify UHI effect.

9. Environmental Degradation

Ex: Black Carbon in air

10. Economic Impact

Ex: High healthcare cost, Loss of productivity

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES:

1. Central Pollution Control Board along with State Pollution Control Boards has been operating National Air Monitoring Program (NAMP) covering 240 cities of the country.
2. National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) under the Central Sector “Control of Pollution” Scheme (targets to achieve 20 % to 30 % reduction in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations by 2024 keeping 2017 as the base year).
3. Comprehensive Action Plan (CAP) in 2018 identifying timelines and implementing agencies for actions identified for prevention, control and mitigation of air pollution in Delhi and NCR.
4. SAMEER app has been launched for air quality information.
5. National Green Corps (NGC) programme for environment protection and conservation activities by students.
6. Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS)
7. Anti-smog guns and smog towers
8. Controlling stubble burning through the use of PUSA bio-decomposer
9. Paryavaran Mitra, an initiative launched by Delhi Government.
10. Odd-even vehicle rationing scheme (odd numbers on odd dates, and even numbers on even dates.)
11. Installation of Air Purifiers
12. Air Quality Index

 AIR QUALITY INDEX: (One Number- One Colour-One Description)

1. Launched by the central government in 2014 as part of the Swachh Bharat campaign.
2. AQI is a number, which is a measure of air quality.
3. The higher the AQI, the worse the air.
4. The colour-coded AQI index was launched in India in 2014.
5. It helps the public and the government understand the condition of the air and what subsequent measures are to be taken to combat the situation, based on its severity.
6. The proposed AQI will consider eight pollutants (PM₁₀, PM₅, NO₂, SO₂, CO, O₃, NH₃, and Pb) for which short-term (up to 24-hourly averaging period).
7. There are six categories of AQI, namely ‘Good’ (0-50), ‘Satisfactory’ (50-100), ‘Moderately polluted’ (100-200), ‘Poor’ (200-300), ‘Very Poor’ (300-400), and ‘Severe’ (400-500).

What India can learn from other countries to beat air pollution?

1. Vertical forest being planted in Nanjing, eastern China, designed to absorb 25 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year and produce about 60 kg of oxygen per day.
2. According to UN Environment, Jambi City in Indonesia has approved an emissions mitigation plan that includes reducing and capturing methane from waste, and local regulations that ban waste burning and promote planting trees.
3. Zurich has capped the number of parking spaces in the city, only allows a certain number of cars to ply at any point of time, and is building more car-free areas and tram lines.

BEST PRACTICES

CHHATTISGARH MODEL:

1. Pollution: Chhattisgarh bans burning of crop residue.

The state now works with the various agencies to educate and help farmers with eco-friendly alternatives to crop burning. The govt began by imposing a ban on the burning on crop residual in the state.

2. Increasing green cover in the city: Raipur demolished buildings to create an urban micro-forest.

Raipur is demolishing 70 old government office building to plant a 19-acre micro forest or ‘oxy-zone’ right in the centre of the city. The oxy-zone has water bodies that will help in replenishing ground water in the area.

3. Protecting green cover: Sapos, the village that looks after its forests.

The residents of Sapos have been protecting a nearby forest for the last 25 years. People from the village are appointed go into the forest every day as guardians, to ensure no tress are cut and the forest is well preserved- especially from people using the forest to source firewood.

GUJARAT’S GREEN SOLUTION TO TACKLE STUBBLE BURNING POLLUTION: