Delhi’s ongoing battle with Air Quality: Navigating the annual Smog challenge

By Vivek Saini 

The onset of the annual pollution season is evident as a well-known veil of harmful smog blankets the National Capital Region (NCR) and its nearby regions with the arrival of winter. Despite a recent government directive indicating no relief in the foreseeable future, the persistent issue of escalating air pollution persists. The known factors leading to heightened smog levels in the NCR remain, and efforts by policymakers, administrators, and monitoring bodies are yet to effectively prevent the city from succumbing to pollution as wind speeds and temperatures decrease.

The Chokehold of Toxic Smog

NCR and its neighboring areas witnessed a spike in air pollution lasting three to four weeks from mid-October to mid-November, fueled by stubble burning and Diwali festivities. Prolonged exposure during this period poses fatal health risks, with a 2021 study by Greenpeace and IQAir estimating 54,000 premature deaths in Delhi in 2020 due to air pollution.

Despite substantial investments in ineffective technologies like smog towers, the Delhi government is exploring unconventional methods such as cloud seeding for artificial rain to combat pollution. Experts argue that addressing the issue requires year-round efforts at the source, which are currently lacking.

The Commission for Air Quality Management, operating in the NCR, relies on the Graded Response Action Plan, activated only three days before air quality deteriorates. This year, the Early Warning System reportedly failed, leading to delayed action.

Unveiling the Culprits: Road Transport and Beyond

The NCR’s air pollution crisis, despite being extensively monitored, sparks annual disputes among states about the root cause. A review led by scientist Sarath Guttikunda of Urban Emissions reveals that road transport consistently emerged as the primary contributor to Delhi’s pollution from 1990 to 2022, surpassing other sectors like residential cooking, open waste burning, and industrial fuel combustion. Despite efforts such as metro rail, mandatory CNG for buses, and stringent vehicle emission standards, the paper highlights that the increasing number and usage of vehicles offset improvements made by better standards and interventions, perpetuating the pollution challenge.

After transport, cooking, lighting, and heating were identified as contributors of 15-20% of the estimated annual PM2.5 concentrations in Delhi. Dust and industrial emissions add another 10-20%. The review emphasizes that immediate attention is needed for sources like vehicle exhaust, road dust, construction dust, cooking and heating, open waste burning, and industries.

Mumbai is increasingly grappling with air pollution, driven by construction dust, traffic, and waste burning due to rapid urbanization. The city’s municipal corporation commissioner announced plans to address air pollution annually, recognizing the issue’s urgency.

Beyond Reactionary Measures: A Call for Systematic Solutions

Delhi boasts the highest density of air monitoring machines in the country. Still, there’s a stark deficiency in other areas with similar pollution levels, with only 931 monitoring stations nationwide, less than half of what was directed by the National Green Tribunal. Experts suggest that at least 4000 continuous monitoring stations are needed to represent air quality trends in India comprehensively. With 131 non-attainment cities surpassing safe pollution levels, including NCR, policymakers are urged to adopt a systematic approach. Instead of reactive measures like the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), emphasis should be on implementing city clean air action plans identifying emission sources.

Guttikunda’s review paper on Delhi’s pollution advocates solutions like expanding public transportation, walking, and cycling infrastructure, promoting clean fuels, enforcing industry emissions standards, enhancing waste management, reducing open waste burning, and increasing green cover. Activists also call for revising the outdated National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) per the updated WHO guidelines from September 2021. The current standards, set in 2009, allow for an annual PM 2.5 limit of 40 micrograms and a daily limit of 60 micrograms.

Integrating Health into Air Quality Metrics

The government, currently revising air quality standards without a specified deadline, is conducting scientific studies led by a committee from IIT Kanpur to establish these new standards.

A framework proposed by the Centre for Policy Research, outlined in a recent working paper, advocates for integrating health impacts into the revised standards. The suggested approach involves the formation of a scientific review committee tasked with examining the literature and developing a “concentration response function” – an index quantifying health effects per unit change in exposure to air pollutants.

Co-author Bhargav Krishna explains the potential impact of this integration, stating, “The first-order effect is that you would set a standard determined directly by evidence. Second, it will explicitly change how you define air quality index cut-offs, which will be tied to health impacts. Currently, our AQI is loosely connected to any health evidence. For instance, GRAP is implemented when pollution levels are already excessively high. This intervention could shift policy levers and determine when to implement measures more effectively.”

Multifaceted Approach for Sustainable Air Quality

Delhi’s air pollution goes beyond borders, urging a shift to managing air quality through airsheds, not political lines. An airshed approach acknowledges shared airflow patterns, enabling coordinated efforts between states and city administrations. Recent Supreme Court directives on stubble burning highlight the need for air-friendly agricultural practices. Crop diversification, albeit gradual, offers promise in reducing stubble-burning reliance.

Tackling smog demands more than policy changes; it requires active public involvement. Campaigns on individual choices, like transportation and waste disposal, are pivotal. Success in public transport and cycling infrastructure depends on citizen adoption. Public engagement extends to industries adopting cleaner practices and individuals embracing sustainable lifestyles, fostering a collective consciousness to curb pollution at its source.

As Delhi faces its smog challenges, a year-round strategy is crucial. Addressing road transport emissions and redefining air quality standards require coordinated efforts. Only through systematic solutions, crossing political lines and raising public awareness can Delhi hope to breathe freely again.

Also Read:

India’s struggle to breathe: A closer look at Air Pollution, Climate Goals, and Health

India’s apex court moots for ‘Green Diwali’ to minimise air, noise pollution

Report reveals alarming rise in winter pollution in India’s Megacities

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