Emergency on breathing… who is the reason for it, know the inside story

New Delhi: Normal life has become disrupted due to pollution in the country’s capital Delhi and surrounding areas. The air has become poisonous due to entry of smog. It seems as if there is an emergency on breathing. GRAP-4 restrictions have been implemented. In such a situation, construction work is stopped. Schools have been closed and online classes have been started, as was done last year and before that too. This problem has been continuously coming up for the last few years. Despite this, whether the central or state government seems to have failed in finding a permanent solution to this problem. The question is, how does Delhi’s air become poisonous as soon as the month of November arrives? Know who is responsible for this.

Why does the air in Delhi become poisonous every year?

There are many reasons for increasing pollution and poisoning of air in Delhi-NCR. The reason for farmers burning stubble is also important in this. According to experts, there are many reasons for increase in smog and pollution. The truth is that in the last 2-3 years there has been a huge reduction in the incidents of stubble burning. Despite this, we are facing days with very poor air quality. The reason for this is weather and geographical factors.

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What is the impact of stubble and what are the reasons?

A senior government official monitoring the air quality situation said that farmers in Punjab and Haryana burn stubble. The smoke coming out of it comes towards Delhi at a time when the temperature is falling. There is no possibility of it spreading due to rain or wind. Delhi already has air pollution due to dust, vehicles, burning of biomass and solid waste. In such a situation, the smoke of stubble together with all this increases the air quality index of Delhi by about 100 points.

This is how Delhi becomes a gas chamber!

According to the official, due to this, a huge cloud of smog is formed over the entire Delhi-NCR. This persists for several days. This is exactly what is being seen in Delhi-NCR at this time. The only way to avoid these weather conditions is to change the timing of paddy harvesting, as was the case before 2009. Paddy planting was delayed under the Punjab and Haryana Conservation Act, 2009, enacted to conserve groundwater, pushing the harvest time to late October or November. As a result, more stubble is burnt to clear the way for wheat sowing.

How will the country’s capital be cleaned?

There are other reasons for increasing pollution in Delhi-NCR. Unless BS III petrol and BS IV diesel vehicles are completely phased out in the national capital, vehicular pollution levels in Delhi are not expected to reduce. It would be important to enforce it strictly around NCR. The first step, which is a major policy change, is not even being considered. The second step, controlling vehicular pollution, seems too far-fetched. It is also uncertain how effective this will be, as the number of vehicles in the area is continuously increasing. Does this mean that nothing can be done?

After all, where is the shortage?

Experts say that even though the weather may not be favorable during the winter months, a lot can still be done. Immediate action and strong political and policy measures are required throughout the year to see improvement. Take road dust, for example. This is a huge cause of air pollution in Delhi throughout the year and especially at this time. There are two obvious ways to deal with this – greenery and water sprinkling. Both need to be done on war footing in NCR.

Similarly, prohibition of solid waste burning is a recurring, frustrating concern that requires strong action from the state government. A central review conducted in September this year found that the Delhi government had not achieved the targets of procurement of e-buses and greenery.

34 lakh MSMEs affected by smog

The severe smog spread in Delhi-NCR has adversely affected the production of more than 34 lakh small and medium industries (MSMEs) in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. This is causing delays in the supply chain, reducing the efficiency of workers and increasing production costs. Industry chambers have urged companies to take preventive measures. The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) estimates that more than 34 lakh MSMEs in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, employing about 70 lakh people, are affected by smog. PHDCCI President Hemant Jain said that the implementation of the fourth phase of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the National Capital Region (NCR) has affected transportation, due to which construction work has come to a halt in the entire region. This has impacted industrial activities, leading to increase in production costs and delays in the supply chain.