Yesterday, national capital has
made it to the global headlines for becoming the Worst Polluted city in the
World. The Air Quality Index (AQI) ratings was seven times higher than the
second polluted city, Dhaka. A thick blanket of smoke engulfed the capital
region on October 29th triggering health crisis. Right to clean air is must for a healthy
living. Unfortunately, the government agencies have collectively failed in
providing this basic necessity.
With air quality index breaching
hazardous plus mark, Supreme Court mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention
Control) Authority (EPCA) declared health emergency. A government declared
health emergency is often accompanied by holidays to the schools as children
are worst affected by the air pollution. Delhi invoked health emergency in
January this year. Within a span of nine months, the region is witnessing
another air pollution crisis. This yearly episodic recurrence reflects the
apathy of the government agencies which refuse lessons despite health
emergencies.
Aside summoning volunteers to
report and stop burning of biomass, the State Government rolled out odd-even vehicle
rationing scheme with some riders to curb air pollution. This off-cuff,
cursory, odd-even policy exempts two-wheelers, vehicles driven by women and
physically handicapped, vehicles which run on CNG and carrying school children.
Previously Delhi government has been invoking odd-even whenever pollution peaks
in the region as a stop gap measure. Delhi government introduced the even-odd
on the premise of four wheelers contributed for 10% of air pollution. Unfortunately, even after two editions of
odd-even, the measure is incomplete and ineffective in terms of enforcement as
it exempted major chunk of vehicles.
Major cities across the world have sturdy
public transportation system discourage private vehicle use. On the contrary,
Delhi with a history of high air pollution has highest number of vehicles in
India. Successive governments failed to put in place a well-connected safe
public quintessential to curb pollution. Taking cognizance of high levels of
emissions from the power plants in Delhi, Supreme Court last year ordered the
shutdown of Badarpur thermal power station in South Delhi. But the emissions
from various SMEs located in the region are a major concern. Studies by
IIT-Kanpur showed that road dust accounted for 35% of air pollution in the city.
But barely any notable measures have been taken to address it expect for
spraying water on foliage during the health emergency in random places.
While the third round of odd-even
is being out rolled today with much fanfare, reports from different agencies
gave varying accounts of previous editions. Unanimously every report contended
that this reduced the congestion on roads and marginally decreased PM 2.5
levels but offered minimal respite. Despite rather unsatisfactory results,
state government enthusiastically is lapping up ineffective measures for optics
to avoid the rumours of not doing anything.
Emissions from stubble burning,
power plants, transport emissions and construction plants cause air pollution. Evidently,
a single measure will hardly make any difference and a multi-pronged strategy
must be in place to tame pollution. Against this approach, state government
imposes ban on construction activities for a week when pollution level shoots
up and stops the entry of heavy vehicles into city during the stated period. But
this year, the government which is grappling with the roll out of RFID tags
managed to get it right just few days back didn’t enforce any such curbs the
movement of heavy vehicles and trucks into city around this time. With
elections closing in, as a desperate state government indulged in distribution
masks to school children to tide growing criticism over its inaction and
resorted to blame game. Barring above mentioned ritualistic pollution curbs,
state government hasn’t instituted long term policies to curtail pollution.
Stubble burning in the neighbouring
states has been one of the major causes for the toxic air engulfing the capital
region. The inexpensive crop burning practice has been in vogue for centuries.
The task of preventing farmers from stubble burning a collective responsibility
of governments of all the states can make huge difference. Reinforcing the need
for curbing this practice, Supreme Court imposed ban on crop burning to control
air pollution. After state governments of Punjab, Haryana, UP expressed
concerns of extra financial burden, Centre offered to provide 50% financial
help to individual farmers towards the purchase of machinery that chop residues
into smaller pieces and spread on soil or 80% financial assistance to farmers
cooperatives or self-help groups for establishing farm machinery banks for
hiring of crop residue machinery. Government approved funds worth Rs 1150 crore
for the year of 2018-19. But in absence of strict enforcement and concern from
respective state governments, farmers are burning the residues after
harvesting. Over 22,000 stubble burning cases are reported so far. Punjab with
far more cases of crop cases as against previous year topped the list. With
four thousand cases, Haryana witnessed little lower stubble burning cases.
Taming air pollution in landlocked
region like Delhi is a humongous task. The hazardous affects of air laden with
particulate matter is exacerbated by low wind speeds and poor rainfall in this
region. Until unless all the stakeholders take active interest and work
together in perfect harmony, air pollution will continue to pose severe health
risks to residents.
In this regard government and
respective state government must heed attention to the recommendations made by
experts like MS Swaminathan. He recommended setting up Rice Bio Parks popular
in Vietnam that effectively uses the stubble for making paper, cardboard and
animal feed. Aside keeping in check vehicular emissions by promoting electric
vehicles, public transport system with last mile connectivity must be put in
place. Coal based units must be discouraged and existing units should be shifted
to distant places.
Air pollution is taking a toll on
health with doctors warning of an impact on the life span. Respiratory
disorders and hospitalisation have become more common among children. Residents
of Delhi are aggrieved. They feel cheated by the political dispensation which
hasn’t offered any respite from this longstanding problem. Indian politicians
are known for their penchant to address issues that earn them electoral
returns. Middle class is terribly upset. Parties that fail to address public
concerns will be shunted out. Back in 2003, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit won
the elections on the agenda of “saaf haava”. Despite initial setbacks
and resistance from sectors, she introduced CNG and revamped the public
transportation by introducing CNG buses. Pollution has been a political issue.
With elections around the corner, Kejriwal can no longer fool the people with
half-hearted cursory measures. People’s anger is palpable. Any political
dispensation which seeks to win Delhi assembly elections must come up with
workable solutions to provide Delhiites some respite from the pollution else
they will risk missing electoral bus and losing people’s confidence. Excuse for
inaction is no longer acceptable.
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