Pollution Killing NCR - Causes and Remedies
National capitals are supposed to be the best cities that nations showcase to the world. But India cannot claim to such a glory as the toxic conditions in National Capital Region (NCR) is creating quite a menace. The entire region is covered in smoke, smog and pollution. This seems to have become a depressingly annual ritual for the Indian capital - a pollution blanket in winter, turning the city into so called "Gas-Chamber". A mix of various local factors, and huge scale crop residue burning in neighboring states, creates a situation dangerous enough for citizens' health and life.
The level of carcinogenic pollutants in Delhi's air was roughly 10 times the reading in the Beijing, a city which is more globally infamous for its pollution. The Air Quality Index (AQI), in November 2017, in Delhi was 900+ while it was little over 100 in Beijing. Many experts are calling this situation of Delhi as a major public health emergency. The AQI in Delhi deteriorated since November 07 putting it in "Hazardous" category, and the AQI exceeded to reach 900+ making it "severe" which is the worst situation. This type of pollution is capable of harming even otherwise healthy people, and seriously damaging the vulnerable groups (kids, heart patients, pregnant woman etc.).
Both the PM10 and PM2.5 particulate matter were the major pollutants for Delhi. The recommended limit of PM2.5 (particles that are small enough to pass through the lungs and into the blood streams) is 60 microgram/cubic m, but it was found to be more than 732. For PM10, the recommended levels of 100 micrograms/cubic m were breached, with levels reaching more than 800. The pollution is impacting the rich and the poor alike, public intervention is highly prioritized.
Despite the ban on cracker sales this Diwali, smoke, smog and pollution level increased.
List of reasons responsible for severe air pollution in NCR:
1. Road dust and Industry: Contrary to normal belief, most of the air pollution in NCR Delhi is not due to vehicular traffics. Main contributors to particulate matter in the PM10 range are road dust (50%) and industry (23%).
2. Large scale construction: Large scale construction is another reason of air pollution in the air. Considering the dipping air quality, a number of construction sites have stalled work, as directed by the Delhi government.
3. Smoke from rural kitchens: The contribution of household air pollution to ambient air pollution in Delhi has fallen in the range of 40-50%. Continued dependence on chullas and fuels such as wood and animal dung results in air quality in rural and adjoining areas worsening by an average of 10%.
4. Vehicular Exhaust: Pollution from vehicular exhaust account for 7% of the total pollution. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) have pegged the contribution of vehicular emissions to the air pollution in Delhi at 6.6%, while some put it upto 30%.
5. Crop residue burning: This seems to be a huge and intractable problem, spread across many northern states. Every winter, Delhi is enveloped in thick smoke as neighboring agrarian states burn crops.
6. Industrial smoke: Industries are responsible for upto 20% of toxic gases in the air.
7. Improper solid waste management (SWM): The open waste burning problem means that vast plots of land are turned into garbage dumps, and fires here a major source of pollution. While burning garbage is deemed illegal by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the practice is common and frequent.
8. Diesel generators: As a preventive measures, diesel generators, which contribute approximately 15% to the city's air pollution were banned in November. Also, a SC-appointed body also ordered closure of Badarpur thermal power plant and hundreds of bricks kilns that had not adopted alternative technology.
Apart from the above mentioned reasons atmospheric conditions also play an important role in creating fog like condition in NCR region. In November, Delhi and its neighboring region saw almost still conditions at the ground level, but in the upper atmosphere there were two wind masses - one from Punjab, which is bringing pollutants from crop burning and the other from eastern Uttar Pradesh, which brought moisture. These collide at the higher altitude, leading to conditions where there is both moisture and pollution as well as no wind at the ground level. This settles down near the surface creating fog like conditions.
Some Solution:
The national capital needs a major greening effort. Unpaved surface raise dust levels as in all Indian cities, but civic agencies ignore the problem. Many other tactical move may include:
The level of carcinogenic pollutants in Delhi's air was roughly 10 times the reading in the Beijing, a city which is more globally infamous for its pollution. The Air Quality Index (AQI), in November 2017, in Delhi was 900+ while it was little over 100 in Beijing. Many experts are calling this situation of Delhi as a major public health emergency. The AQI in Delhi deteriorated since November 07 putting it in "Hazardous" category, and the AQI exceeded to reach 900+ making it "severe" which is the worst situation. This type of pollution is capable of harming even otherwise healthy people, and seriously damaging the vulnerable groups (kids, heart patients, pregnant woman etc.).
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| Air Quality Index - Values, Categories and its Meaning |
Both the PM10 and PM2.5 particulate matter were the major pollutants for Delhi. The recommended limit of PM2.5 (particles that are small enough to pass through the lungs and into the blood streams) is 60 microgram/cubic m, but it was found to be more than 732. For PM10, the recommended levels of 100 micrograms/cubic m were breached, with levels reaching more than 800. The pollution is impacting the rich and the poor alike, public intervention is highly prioritized.Despite the ban on cracker sales this Diwali, smoke, smog and pollution level increased.
List of reasons responsible for severe air pollution in NCR:
1. Road dust and Industry: Contrary to normal belief, most of the air pollution in NCR Delhi is not due to vehicular traffics. Main contributors to particulate matter in the PM10 range are road dust (50%) and industry (23%).
2. Large scale construction: Large scale construction is another reason of air pollution in the air. Considering the dipping air quality, a number of construction sites have stalled work, as directed by the Delhi government.
3. Smoke from rural kitchens: The contribution of household air pollution to ambient air pollution in Delhi has fallen in the range of 40-50%. Continued dependence on chullas and fuels such as wood and animal dung results in air quality in rural and adjoining areas worsening by an average of 10%.
4. Vehicular Exhaust: Pollution from vehicular exhaust account for 7% of the total pollution. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) have pegged the contribution of vehicular emissions to the air pollution in Delhi at 6.6%, while some put it upto 30%.
5. Crop residue burning: This seems to be a huge and intractable problem, spread across many northern states. Every winter, Delhi is enveloped in thick smoke as neighboring agrarian states burn crops.
6. Industrial smoke: Industries are responsible for upto 20% of toxic gases in the air.
7. Improper solid waste management (SWM): The open waste burning problem means that vast plots of land are turned into garbage dumps, and fires here a major source of pollution. While burning garbage is deemed illegal by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the practice is common and frequent.
8. Diesel generators: As a preventive measures, diesel generators, which contribute approximately 15% to the city's air pollution were banned in November. Also, a SC-appointed body also ordered closure of Badarpur thermal power plant and hundreds of bricks kilns that had not adopted alternative technology.
Apart from the above mentioned reasons atmospheric conditions also play an important role in creating fog like condition in NCR region. In November, Delhi and its neighboring region saw almost still conditions at the ground level, but in the upper atmosphere there were two wind masses - one from Punjab, which is bringing pollutants from crop burning and the other from eastern Uttar Pradesh, which brought moisture. These collide at the higher altitude, leading to conditions where there is both moisture and pollution as well as no wind at the ground level. This settles down near the surface creating fog like conditions.
Some Solution:
The national capital needs a major greening effort. Unpaved surface raise dust levels as in all Indian cities, but civic agencies ignore the problem. Many other tactical move may include:
- LPG to all for domestic cooking
- Prohibiting MSW burning
- Road dust: Vacuum sweeping of major roads several times a month
- Construction and demolition activity: Handling and storage of raw material, water spray, wind breakers
- Vehicles: Bringing in more electric-hybrid vehicles, BS-VI implementation from January 2019, ultra-low sulphur fuel from January 2018
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