Opinion: Only makeshift methods cannot stop Delhi from becoming a gas chamber, these measures will have to be taken

Author: Chandrabhushan
The pollution season has come again in Delhi. On Wednesday, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 235, the highest since June 19. It is a matter of concern that for the first time in 6 years the air has reached ‘poor’ category in September itself. People of the national capital are somehow preparing to escape the terrible smog of winter. Meanwhile, Delhi government has announced a 21-point action plan to reduce pollution. This action plan includes things like drone surveillance on hotspots, special task force, work-from-home policy, voluntary ban on vehicles and green awards. An odd-even scheme and even artificial rain have been proposed to tackle severe air pollution.

Last year also, the AAP government had introduced a 15 point action plan, which was completely ineffective. In fact, the 2023-24 air pollution season is set to be the worst in recent times. The average AQI during this period was 304, whereas it was 280 in 2022-23 and 278 in 2021-22.

For more than a decade, Delhi has been experimenting with various methods to curb pollution. These include odd-even scheme, smog towers, water cannons, tree plantation and Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). GRAP limits the operation of industry, construction, and vehicles. Still, the city is not getting rid of pollution.

Why is Delhi’s plan not working?
This year’s plan, like previous ones, will fail to give Delhi the clean air it so desperately needs. This is because these measures do not target the biggest sources of pollution. Delhi, which accounts for only 2.7% of the NCR, is located in one of the most urbanized, industrialized and agricultural regions of the world. As a result, its air is heavily affected by pollution from neighboring districts.

Studies show that only 30–50% of Delhi’s air pollution comes from within the city, with the remaining 50–70% coming from outside. This means that a regional approach is necessary to reduce air pollution in the city. Furthermore, the main sources of pollution in Delhi-NCR are the use of biomass in cooking, heating and micro and small-scale industries, as well as burning of agricultural residues in surrounding states.

These activities contribute more than 50% of total PM2.5 pollution, the most dangerous of all pollutants. An additional 30% of PM2.5 pollution comes from industries and power plants that rely on coal and other fossil fuels.

In other words, more than 80% of PM2.5 pollution in Delhi-NCR is caused by burning of solid fuels, especially biomass and coal, with vehicles contributing less than 10%. This estimate does not include dust blown from roads, construction sites and wastelands, which are important sources of particle pollution.

Center and states will have to cooperate with each other
If Delhi is serious about improving air quality, it should stop relying on ineffective, superficial solutions like odd-even schemes, construction bans and drone surveillance. These temporary fixes harm the economy without solving the core problem. The real solution lies in collaboration between the central government and the states – Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan – to tackle pollution at its source.

This collaborative effort will create a new governance framework to implement a coordinated clean air action plan. That clean air action plan will have to be implemented properly. For this, all the states will have to sacrifice some powers for the common interest. Let us see how this can happen:

Creating Air Pollution Control Zone
The Central Government should declare Delhi and its surrounding areas as air pollution control zones. Within this region, all measures to prevent air pollution should be implemented in a coordinated manner. Ideally, this area should cover the entire airshed, which extends within a 300 km radius around Delhi. However, keeping in mind the existing institutional arrangements, the region may include Delhi-NCR and four additional districts of UP – Aligarh, Hathras, Mathura and Agra.

It will cover an area within a radius of about 150 km, with a population of about 8 crore. However, this will exclude key agricultural areas of Punjab and Haryana where stubble is burnt on a large scale. This issue can be addressed through special programs aimed at eliminating crop residue burning.

Establishment of authorized agency
A new empowered agency should be established to implement the Coordinated Clean Air Action Plan. The agency should have representatives from both the Central and State governments and should be headed by a senior officer at the level of Secretary. It should have its district office and its own staff. In other words, it should be the nodal agency for air pollution control in the region, leaving other central and state agencies behind.

Similar agencies exist elsewhere, such as the California Air Resources Board, which was established in 1967 to combat severe pollution in cities such as Los Angeles. China has established the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Regional Coordination Council to reduce pollution levels in Beijing. While the Center has constituted the Commission for Air Quality Management for NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), it has not been very effective as it lacks resources, authority and a proactive action plan.

have a real action plan
Delhi’s air quality, and India’s air quality as a whole, cannot improve without a rapid shift to clean energy for cooking, heating, industry, transportation and power generation. Similarly, pollution caused by land and agriculture, such as burning of agricultural residues and desertification, must be addressed. These challenges will require concrete plans, dedicated resources, and multi-year efforts to see concrete results. For this, a realistic action plan needs to be developed.

But the question remains: are the central and state governments ready for this challenge?

(The author is an environmentalist)