AIR Spotlight: Delhi Air Pollution

AIR Spotlight is an insightful program featured daily on the All India Radio Newsonair. In this program, many eminent panellists discuss issues of importance which can be quite helpful in IAS exam preparation.

This article is about the discussion on Delhi Air Pollution, its causes, effects and control measures.

Participants:

1. Mukul Sanwal, Former UN Diplomat and Environmentalist
2. Omvesh Upadhyay, AIR Correspondent

Context – Delhi’s air quality turns hazardous every winter due to industrial and vehicular pollution, stubble burning, bursting of firecrackers, etc.

Delhi is one of the world’s most polluted cities, presenting a major health risk for its nearly 30 million residents. Every year with the onset of the winter season, toxic smog surrounds the capital and the NCR region which is replete with carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, etc. 

Causes of escalating Air Pollution in Delhi

In winter, cold air sinks to the ground, the wind pattern changes, the pollution is not dispersed and whatever is generated in and around Delhi-NCR settles down in the region which results in the deteriorating air quality of Delhi-NCR. 

• One of the main reasons for air pollution in the Delhi – NCR region is stubble burning in winter. The neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan burn stubble which leads to a thick blanket of smog in Delhi during winter. The toxic elements/pollutants released in the atmosphere due to stubble burning include methane gas, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, etc. 
  • Stubble burning contributes to 34% of Delhi’s air pollution as per CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) and SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research).
• Vehicular emissions are also one of the major causes of the dipping air quality of Delhi-NCR in winter. 
• Large-scale construction in Delhi-NCR is another contributing factor to air pollution. Garbage dumps also contribute to air pollution and smog formation. 
• The landlocked geography of Delhi makes Delhi’s air pollution even worse as compared to other cities. The north-westerly winds coming from Rajasthan, sometimes from Pakistan and Afghanistan bring in dust to the region. As a landlocked megacity, Delhi has limited avenues for flushing polluted air out of the city.
  • Coastal megacities such as Mumbai replace polluted air with relatively unpolluted sea breezes. 
• Firecrackers, though not the top reason for air pollution, do contribute to it. 

National Air Quality Index (AQI)

• It is the index for reporting daily air quality.
• AQI is calculated for eight major air pollutants – Ground-level ozone, PM 10, PM 2.5, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ammonia and lead. 

Know more about the Air Quality Index in the linked article.

GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan)

• The GRAP is a set of anti-air pollution measures followed in Delhi. It classifies the air quality in Delhi-NCR under four stages: Stage I – ‘Poor’ (AQI 201-300); Stage II – ‘Very Poor’ (AQI 301-400); Stage III – ‘Severe’ (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV – ‘Severe Plus’ (AQI >450).
• The GRAP Stage IV’s primary focus remains on vehicle restrictions, including entry of commercial trucks into Delhi, diesel commercial vehicles for intra-Delhi movements, non-BS VI passenger vans, and LMVs (Light Motor Vehicles) in Delhi.

Read previous AIR Spotlight articles in the link.

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