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NEW DELHI : A survey has found that Delhi blames their poor air quality index and worsening air pollution on the stubble burning that takes places during winters in the Punjab region. Therefore, it is also the ardent belief of the people of Delhi that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) forming a government in Punjab would in turn reduce air pollution in Delhi.
The people of Delhi anticipate that the problem of air pollution in the national capital Delhi will be solved if AAP forms a government in the agrarian state of Punjab.
Local Circles conducted the exercise which received more than 33,000 responses from people residing across all 11 districts of Delhi, of which 64% were men and 36% were women.
69% of those surveyed said stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana, UP is the top source of air pollution in Delhi during October-December.
Meanwhile, Fifty-four per cent of the people surveyed said they do not feel that the pollution issue of Delhi will now be resolved. Only 32 per cent said 'yes', while 14 per cent did not have an opinion, the survey report read.
Fifty-four per cent attributed the bad air during winters to vehicular emissions, and road and construction dust.
Asked about initiatives needed to be put in place to significantly reduce air pollution in Delhi, 71% of the respondents said a detailed plan is required to "drive stubble burning in Punjab to near-zero levels''.
Fifty-two per cent felt there should be a plan to reduce vehicles on Delhi roads by 50 per cent during October-December, while 43 per cent prioritised "waste management and anti-waste burning enforcement plan".
Delhi sees the worst air quality index during winters when pollution from suspended particulate matter and other elements in air mix with fog and form a dense smog on the capital city.
Delhi also witnessed the worst air pollution after the festival of Diwali when people burst crackers thereby adding to the woes of pollution.
A study published last month has claimed that pollution killed 24 lakh people in India in a year.
The study in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health blamed pollution of all types for 90 lakh deaths a year globally while the deaths due to dirty air from automobiles and industries have been rising 55% since 2000.
Air pollution from industry processes along with urbanization drove a 7% increase in pollution-related deaths from 2015 to 2019, according to the scientists’ analysis of data on global mortality and pollution levels.