SubscriberWrites: The reality of Delhi’s air quality

With rising emissions, flawed policies, and a population unaware of its impact, Delhi's air quality crisis worsens despite known solutions.

Air pollution in Delhi | Representative Image | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

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Delhi air specially from October to February is a noxious mix of emissions from its vehicles, construction dust, and burning of waste harming the health and cognitive abilities of its people, damaging its plants and trees, and affecting the behaviour of its animals. 

Release of small particles, chemicals and gases in unproportionate percentage is because of the greed of its minority and newly acquired middle-class syndrome of its majority.

While the  Government is caught up in creating headlines its people are caught up in the discussions on artificial rain, staggering office timings and stubble burning etc. Both forgetting their responsibilities. 

Following are the ten known facts related to air pollution in Delhi.  

1.Policies and investments that support sustainable land use, cleaner household energy and transport, energy-efficient housing, power generation, industry, and better municipal waste management can effectively reduce key sources of  air pollution.

2. If manufacturing units  of automobile, food, abrasive materials, adhesives, glass bottles etc. use renewable fuels, adopt cleaner production measures, install scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators their contribution to air pollution would reduce.

3.If companies supplying electricity to the city produce electricity by using renewable clean energy  the air pollution would go down.

4. If roadside recycling is halted and  the big industries  take them under their umbrellas  Delhi’s air will improve.

5.If  fires in low income colonies are  eliminated Delhi air would get better.

6. If all construction activities in Delhi are based on total amount of input consumption and output emissions  It would reduce air pollution in Delhi.
7. If construction sites  responsible for 14.5% of PM2.5 and 8% of PM10 emissions use  unbroken wind fences and water the exposed surfaces  dust generation would reduce.
8. If  demolition and re construction is replaced by repurposing existing buildings  air pollution will reduce .
9. If  funds needed to contain air pollution are generated  from businesses damaging  air quality  and  if heavy fines are imposed for not taking active steps to contain pollution would help in improving the air quality of the city.
10. If human activities within buildings, such as smoking, burning solid fuels and using  chemical cleaning agents stops Delhi’s air will improve.

 Now, let me list the ten suggestions by the high level committees which made me laugh:  

1.CSR funds for heaters to stop biomass burning

2. Voluntary vehicular restrictions.
3. Green war room

4.Green app

5. e- waste eco park
6. Graded response action plan 

7.Survey of the air polluting industries.

8. Drone supervision
9. Increasing  15 point action plan to 21 point action plan
10. Combating  air pollution by purchasing more machines.

Strangely there is nothing on:

1. Complete halt on deforestation and formation of urban heat islands. 
2. Methods to involve every citizen in controlling air pollution.  
3. Changing  land use pattern. 
4. Controlling the total number of vehicles the city can contain. 
5. Painting the roads blue thus reflecting the heat instead of absorbing it.
6.  Correcting the viscous  cycle of increased indoor pollution  and  heat due to faulty construction like glass exteriors  and then cooling the building with air conditioners which  pollute and heat the atmosphere around the house.

Not everyone in Delhi is responsible for its toxic air. Lets pat the backs of the following sections of the society. 

1.You get around by foot, bike or bus so are contributing the least towards air pollution.

2. Your home has  better insulation , more efficient appliances and does not have sick home syndrome so your contribution to air pollution is tolerable.

3 .  You do not have any animal farm/dairy responsible for a large number of ammonia emissions, which cause pollution not only in the air but to surface and ground waters.

4. if you do not own a lawn mower creating pollution. 
5. You are not constructing your house  or office or shop  by traditional building methods  so are not polluting the air.
6. You  only  get your clothes   dry cleaned  by eco-friendly drycleaners so are not  contributing  to air pollution. 

7.For your winter fire pit you use only very dry wood and that too in smaller pieces to reduce the smoke as much as possible thus reducing the air pollution.

 Last Words

Delhi’s population is on the rise.  The UN estimates that it will reach around 35 million by 2030. Delhi is struggling to meet its overflowing capacity. Its dense network of high-rise buildings, all glass heat reflective exteriors, roads teaming with vehicles, garbage everywhere, corruption  in air pollution managing bodies, impolite selfish people is making this historic city unliveable.    

A young neighbour shifted to Hyderabad last year. A month later his recurrent breathing problem disappeared. With better air to breath he is  energetic again  and his output has improved.  

These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint