AIR POLLUTION IN DELHI
AIR POLLUTION IN DELHI
Nikunja
BIhari Sahu
There has been apparently no relief from the poor quality of air in the national capital of Delhi despite Government’s best efforts to contain the menace by putting various provisions in place under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The capital city is already under Stage 2 curb of GRAP that calls for various enforcement measures at construction and demolition sites as well as restriction on operations of DG sets to prevent the emission of fine particles of dusts and smokes. With the Air quality Index (AQI) reaching 400 mark on the Republic Day coming under the ‘Severe’ category level, stricter curbs under Stage 3 of GRAP action plan might be invoked. It would include a ban on non-essential construction works and the plying of BS III petrol and BS IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi-NCR. Under Stage 3 of GRAP, a complete ban is imposed on diesel generators, while the use of coal and firewood in certain industries is prohibited. GRAP is a series of comprehensive measures and restrictions that can be implemented in the Delhi-NCR based on the severity of air quality as a check to the air pollution. According to the IMD, the dispersion of pollutants has been slow because of a dip in temperature, foggy conditions and contribution of local particulate emission sources due to which a spurt in the average AQI of Delhi has been witnessed.
. Last year, the pollution level became so dire that it prompted a stern
warning issued from the Supreme Court directing the Union and State governments
to take 'imminent and emergency' measures to tackle the situation. Following
this, the Delhi government
shut down the schools for some period and imposed ban non-essential trucks from
entering into the capital city.
Air quality Index of a locality is
generally measured by the presence of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) in
air. The average level of the deadliest particulate matter i.e. PM 2.5 in the
National Capital Region (NCR) reached over 400 mark (over 7 times the safe
limit) triggering a string of health hazards. These fine particles could choke
the lungs posing potential risks for the onset of several respiratory tract related diseases
like Asthma and Bronchitis where the airways become inflamed making it harder for oxygen to reach
different organs and tissues. Inhaling
this toxic air has been equated by doctors with smoking 50 cigarettes a day.
That’s why Delhi has been likened with Nazi Germany’s gas chamber that killed thousands
of Jews mercilessly in its death trap during the World War II.
According to the goal set by National Clean Air Porgramme (NCAP) in
2019, the levels of PM -2.5 and PM-10 particles in air in various cities in
India should be brought down by 30% within 5 years upto 2024. But during this
period in Delhi, the reduction of PM-2.5 and PM-10 particles have been only
5.9% and 3.9% respectively which is far less than the target!
New Delhi battles chronic winter smog every year as a drop in the
ambient temperature account for the accumulation of deadly pollutants in the
air mostly from coal-fired power plants outside the city, fumes from vehicles,
construction activity and open burning of rubbish. One of the key contributors
to the air pollution in winter is the pollutants released from the neighboring
states of Punjab and Haryana where farmers used to burn their crop residues
after the harvest. Also, the fireworks during the festival of Diwali that
happens at the same time, only worsen the air quality situation. Low wind speeds
also plays a part as it traps the pollutants in the lower atmosphere and do not
allow for a quick dispersal.
As per a study carried out
by the World Health Organization (WHO), among the 1600 cities of the world ,
Delhi is one of the worst cities in terms of air pollution and according to
one estimate, air pollution alone accounts for the death of nearly 10,500
people in Delhi every year on an average. According to one study, Delhi
citizens would live on average an extra nine years if Delhi met the WHO air
quality standards. A Lancet report in 2020 said almost 17,500 people died
in Delhi in 2019 alone because of air pollution. Rising air pollution level has
significantly increased lungs related ailments among Delhi's children and
women. The dense smog in Delhi during winter season results in major air
and rail traffic disruptions every year due to poor visibility
conditions.
Delhi's population continues to grow rapidly unabated as thousands of
migrants arrive in the capital city each year in search of jobs for better
opportunities. Dust-generating construction sites, industrial emissions as well
as proliferation of coal-fired power plants contribute to the increasingly
deterioration of air quality in Delhi. Car sales have also been soaring as
income of people have been steadily rising with improvements in living
standard. This is evident from the fact that nearly 10 million vehicles used to
jostle for space on the roads of Delhi everyday while thousands of diesel
guzzling trucks rumble across the capital every night bringing in essential
commodities from neighboring states.
Education Officer
Regional Science Centre
Bhopal
Phone : 8018708858
To read the same article published in The Orissa Post dated 6.02.24, pl click the following link :
Comments
Post a Comment