Air Pollution in Delhi
- According to data on air quality collected by the World Health Organization, Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world (WHO).
- The WHO’s more stringent guidelines and national restrictions are both exceeded by Delhi’s PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations.
- Delhi has to lower PM2.5 levels by 65% in order to comply with federal criteria. Delhi’s toxic air is largely caused by sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide.
- Lack of ventilation increases the pollution concentration. According to a study published by the Ministry of Earth Sciences in October 2018, the percentage was over 41%, with 18.5% of it ascribed to industries and 21.5% to dust. Only 25% of the time do tests for pollution on cars take place.
- According to the WHO, asthma and chronic respiratory diseases are the main killers worldwide. Air pollution damages the ecology by impairing vision, causing acid rain, and ozone at the tropospheric level.
Delhi pollution reduction campaign:
- Yuddh Pradushan Ke Viruddh is a significant anti-pollution initiative that the Delhi government has initiated. It includes a tree-planting drive, the construction of a pollution tower in Connaught Place (Delhi), the promotion of electric vehicles, and a ban on burning stubble.
- This will assist in the battle against Delhi’s poor air quality, which worsens throughout the winter.
- The programme, which attempts to lessen harmful smoke, is focused on the thermal plants and brick kilns in the National Capital Region as well as the chemical treatment of stubble burning from neighbouring States.
- The air was unhealthy before COVID-19. Both national requirements and the more stringent World Health Organization limits are surpassed for PM2.5 and PM10.
- Delhi’s toxic air is largely caused by sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. Lack of ventilation increases the pollution concentration.
- Delhi has to lower PM2.5 levels by 65% in order to comply with federal criteria.
- Between 20% and 40% of the PM2.5 concentrations are created by trucks and two-wheelers. Dealing with auto emissions in situations similar to those in Bangkok, Beijing, and Mexico City would be one of the topics explored.
Steps to take:
- The first step is to be prepared to vigorously police emission limits and impose more severe penalties.
- Two- and three-wheelers were just as important in Beijing’s experience as cars and trucks.
- Bangkok enhanced inspection and maintenance in an effort to cut pollution. First, the national standards need to be put into practise. According to Delhi’s Pollution Under Control Policy, just 25% of automobiles have their emissions analysed.
- To reduce the number of private cars on the road, the second strategy calls for strengthening public transportation.
- In Mexico City, Bogota, Istanbul, and Johannesburg, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems show how the advantages offset the considerable investment costs and how funding works.
- Delhi has learned from its BRT experience how to assign better BRT lanes, improve the ticketing procedure, and work with the Metro.
- The Supreme Court’s ruling to increase Delhi’s bus fleet and link it to the Metro network must be put into effect.
- Despite the potential benefits of the “odd-even” number plate policy, it should be supported by further legislation, and the system should only permit a limited number of exceptions before putting into operation.
A longer-term solution:
- If put into action, the approach could decrease respiratory problems brought on by COVID-19 and add two to three years to people’s lives. If it continues, it might reduce air pollution from all sources by 25% to 30% by 2025, extending people’s lives by two to three years.
- Despite the fact that it is a longer-term prong (EVs), it includes electric vehicles (EVs). To ensure that EVs are utilised extensively without the need for fossil fuels to charge them, subsidies and expenditures will be necessary.
- By 2024, electric vehicles should make up 25% of all new automobiles registered in Delhi, according to the city’s three-year plan.
- If there are discounts for trading in older vehicles, low-interest financing options, and toll exemptions, EVs will succeed.
Conclusion:
- A three-pronged approach consists of public transit, emissions controls, and electric vehicles.
- Significant reductions in emissions connected to transportation will also be addressed as part of the long-term solution for Delhi.
- Transportation improvements are one part of pollution reduction that considers industry and agriculture. Delhi’s own efforts will be futile if the pollution from neighbouring States is not addressed.
- Three methods for reducing auto pollution are using electric vehicles, using public transportation, and enforcing emission limits.
