HAS POLLUTION BECOME A NIGHTMARE IN NCR?
A sheet of grey haze shrouds as I open balcony door at 6.20 a.m. As I get ready to go to temple and thereafter a walk, one discovers that a thick smog has blanketed the colony. Visibility is hardly 50 metres. Air is dense. Looks pollution is going to be severe today. Until post noon sun light does not trickle down to surface.
Battle with pollution at this time of the year has become an annual ritual. We think about it only during November and December. Don’t we think that it is an air emergency or a nightmare that haunts NCR year after year ? Further, I gather that air pollution in NCR is over 26 times the limit prescribed by WHO. Not only Delhi has the dubious distinction of being most polluted but neighbouring Ghaziabad too has become second city in this regard. Eighty one more towns and cities of the country figure in this category according to WHO. This is at the time when Smart City project is in full swing.
All of us are aware of external and internal factors leading to pollution and what could be remedial measures but casual approach of concerned departments, agencies and non co-operation of people comes in the way.
According to an expert “North Westerly winds are expected to continue, so farm fires will still remain a factor. Very dense fog followed by smog is very much possible after 18th November.”
Fog, Smog, Dipping Temperature
It is not only pollution. Pollution together with fog, smog and dipping temperature become villains.Smog is a toxic blend of smoke and fog.It halts life, schools, offices and travel leading to a grim situation.Children and elderly suffer maximum when it comes to breathing problem, eye burning, asthma, headache or respiratory and cardiac illness. Even healthy young adults become vulnerable. Inflammation and damage to lung tissues may take place leading to premature death.
According to some scientists a kind of ‘ Super Fog’ is also possible.As nearby structures, buildings, trees, roads etc.may not be seen by a cyclist or a motorist, accidents are bound to occur. Incidence of smog intensified in NCR from 15th November and it rose to unimaginable levels on 17th and 18th November.
Health Hazard
Polluted air is a health hazard.It is an ocean of poison for 20 million people of NCR. It is shocking to note that 2.1 million people died of air pollution in India in 2023 alone.Breathing polluted air shortens life span and deteriorating Air Quality Index (AQI) makes it impossible to ride a cycle or a bike.Smaller the pollutants, the more harmful they are to human body. When pollutants accumulate in atmosphere, wind speed should increase or some rain can also help.
A report of TERI published in 2021 highlights vehicles as main source of pollution.Mostly two wheelers are to be blamed. Further, high levels of P.M.10 and P.M.2.5 are attributable to industries and stone crushers.Dust from roads and burning of fuel wood also contribute.
Also pollution is not abating rather, AQI is deteriorating. The report finally contends that source of pollution is from within, not from outside.
Burning Of Stubble From Paddy Field
During the pollution phase in NCR, topmost blame goes to Paddy fields of Punjab, Haryana, U.P.,Rajasthan and M.P.
A satellite detected 1334 places in six states which were witnessing farm fires on one day.
Harvesting of Paddy crop takes place during October and November. Farmers act hurriedly to clear their fields for next crop of wheat but don’t have money to purchase the machine already developed for the purpose.
Smoke that comes to NCR contributes to 17 to 30% pollution of the region on an average. But on 13th November, it increased to 30.8%, on 14th November it was 33.33% and on 16th November it rose to 35.17%.The Decision Support System (DSS) of Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, however, has clarified that some false fires are also recorded by satellites due to fog and large number of weddings in the region. According to experts, the thick black fumes are swept into Delhi and NCR by strong transport winds and trapped close to ground by sluggish surface winds.
Maximum smoke comes from Punjab and Haryana and also from Lahore in Pakistan if NASA satellite imagery is to be believed. During the current year, half of Paddy fields in Punjab were yet to be harvested a few days ago.
According to Hindustan Times, Punjab recorded 1251 farm fires on 18th November, a season high, thus raising the total to 9655. Muktsar Dist. reported most incidents at 247, followed by Moga (149) and Ferozpur(130). Total 48,489 farm fires were recorded in the state in 2022. It fell to 33,719 (drop of 26%) in 2023. Let’s see if it falls further during 2024.
According to some experts, on 18th November, Haryana had 36 farm fires, Rajasthan had 152, U.P. 133, M.P. 639 and Punjab 1251. On 19th November, Punjab recorded only 20 farm fires.
Air Quality Index (AQI)
It is an index meant to represent pollution. It does not show actual level of pollutants in the air. For fourteen consecutive days till 11th November AQI was ‘very poor’ in NCR. Between 13th to 19th November, it was 418, 426, 396, 417, 441, 460 and 494 respectively. So five days were “severe” and two days were within “severe plus” range. AQI of 494 on 19th November was season’s second highest. A cocktail of slow wind, dipping temperature (12.3 degrees), poor visibility and farm fires from neighbouring states kept NCR on tenterhooks. According to some authentic sources, between 20th and 22nd November AQI may be severe again.
REASONS & REMEDIES
Well known reasons for atmospheric pollution are :
* Emission of Carbon Monoxide from vehicles,
* Smoke from local Industrial units,
* Construction works,
* Garbage burning,
* Use of Generators,
* Power plants,
* Dust from roads having pot holes,
* Smoke from burning paddy fields of nearby states,
* Crackers of Diwali, Marriage & other festivals.
For checking emission from vehicles, half hearted steps are taken by Police and transport personnel but issue is never resolved.Odd and even system tried earlier did not work in a place which has one crore twenty lakh vehicles. Rather, one day of week needs to be declared as Vehicle Free Day.
Similar is the case in regard to Industrial units that remain.Pollution from construction sites can never be resolved as builders continue to flout orders and instructions and inspecting staff of authorities / departments are found hand in glove with contractors and suppliers. Also construction area is mostly not covered.
Garbage Burning
For stopping or even restricting garbage burning, people have to fully co-operate. In the same way, unnecessary use of generators has to be checked and it should not be allowed during peak hours. Dust emanating from roads having pot holes can be solved easily but it is a pan India phenomenon.
To my knowledge there are no power plants left in the national capital, so it should be a non- issue.
Use of Air Purifier is also suggested.But one may know that it works only for a limited period and that too inside a fully shut room.
For stopping and restricting burning of stubble in five states, discussion takes place and executive as also judicial orders are issued but there are wide gaps in the process of implementation. There is always lack of co-ordination between the Delhi Government and Centre on the one hand and between Delhi government and four state governments on the other. Long term strategies are needed, short term action would not suffice. They only prolong the damage. If concerned Chief Ministers are concerned about citizen’s well being, they need to meet and thrash out issues at regular intervals.
Measures like work from home & online classes only do lip service. Moreover, Quality becomes a casualty in these circumstances.
Use of Crackers
In regard to crackers, no serious effort is ever made to carry out seizures.Users further spend money because they have good deal of unaccounted and black money.While being guided by whims and fancies,people especially youth forget their duty towards fellow citizens, children and elderly.
Last but not the least, no one can put restrictions on unwanted expenditure during weddings.People have to show that they are someone with name and fame and jewelleries and costly dresses have to be displayed together with crackers.Amount of food that is wasted on such occasions is simply mind boggling.There being more than 10 lakh marriages in the region till 15th December, one can imagine damage to the environment even when an average of 50 firecrackers are used per wedding.
Conclusion
It should be our endeavour to work sincerely to put an end to toxic days.We seem to have learned no lesson in regard to spike in pollution. As a result, steps taken prove temporary and unsustainable.Current crisis is likely to worsen further. Only after 15th or 20th January one can think of getting some RELIEF.
(The author is retired Chief Secretary, Sikkim)