Lessons from Delhi's dirty air in 2017
Air pollution levels in Delhi and adjoining states not only made the headlines but triggered debates and political fist fights, besides founding the premise for some new research, in 2017. But sadly, while Delhi and its residents choke, the concerns have so far been restricted to just yearender horror tales like this.
Air pollution in Delhi is a maze of factors with toxic gases and small, inhalable particles. From unlimited road dust fuelled by an unchecked urban construction boom to the growth of vehicular emissions - especially diesel fumes - to the use of hazardous cookstoves, there are many factors contributing to North India's air toxic.
Other factors include, winter in north India, burning of agriculture stubble in Punjab brings toxic and unburned carbon particles into Delhi's atmosphere.
But the fact that air quality has been allowed to decline to this extent and the inadequacy of the response are rooted in a wider crisis of our republic: a persistent failure to value public interest.
Matter of concern
The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health's report clearly states that air pollution killed 1.09 million in India in 2015. WHO's report, Inheriting a Sustainable World: Atlas on Children's Health and the Environment, says more than 1 in 4 deaths of children under 5 years of age are attributable to polluted environments. The same report says the financial cost of such pollution is between 1% and 1.5% of the GDP of middle-income countries.
The ambient air pollution, which is outdoor air pollution comprising gases and particulate matter; and household air pollution from the burning of wood, charcoal, coal, dung or crop waste indoors; and ambient ozone are strongly linked to heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder.
Bigger problems: Rising electricity demand
India's rising electricity demand is a strong source of increasing pollution levels one cannot ignore. Also, one cannot ignore that India has failed to implement emission control standards for coal-fired power plants.
There are 13 coal-fired power plants in Delhi within a 300-kilometre radius operating with no emission controls to regulate SO2 and NO2, this contributes to the rise of PM particles.
Delhi Chalo: the ever-increasing population
Power plants or combustion of coal are not the only factors leading to toxic air in Delhi and its surrounding areas. The top four contributors to particulate matter (PM) 2.5 emissions in Delhi are road dust (38%), vehicles (20%), domestic fuel burning (12%) and industrial point sources (11%).
From 0.17 crore in 1951, Delhi now is a permanent base for 1.9 crore in 2017. The soaring population of Delhi has led to multiple problems - more construction, industrial units, more burning of fossil fuel for cooking and keeping the cold away, more cars, trucks, buses and two and three-wheelers on the roads.
Are we taking the right steps?
The first step towards improving air quality is public willingness and commitments. As citizens of Delhi, we should share same concerns about our health and that of our children and we should formulate ways where we would like to go together.
My 10 Best takeaways this year would be:
1. Demand for strong political action and punitive measures on breaching air quality index
2. Expansion of bus and Metro services
3. Stop stubble burning, help farmers dump farm waste
4. No to private cars; increase taxation of cars by introducing an annual or biannual licence fee
5. LPG connections for poor, no indoor combustion of wood, biowaste
6. Vacuum cleaning devices to sweep off road dust
7. Plants along roads to counter pollutants
8. Waste segregation and no burning mixed municipal waste
9. End the use of coal in power plants close to Delhi & switch to gas-based power plants
10. Lastly, issuing health alerts on time. Nodal agencies missed issuing crucial alerts, which could have been life saving in many cases
As I close my column on air pollution this year, I hope each Delhiite, whether a native or a migrant, would take necessary steps towards saving the Delhi-NCR region and the people around. Until this mentality changes, nothing can be accomplished in the fight against air pollution.
