Any lessons from the smog?

The smog which reduced daytime visibility to a few hundred metres and sent many Delhiites to hospital OPDs is now gone. But air quality remains poor and long-term measures to combat pollution are still needed

With the air quality in the national capital hitting rock bottom just a few days back, many Delhiites feel the Centre and state governments should have stepped in much earlier to tackle the problem.

 After rising pollution post Diwali, which saw Delhi suffer from the worst smog in 17 years, the municipal corporations decided to shut down over 1,800 primary schools as a contingency measure to prevent students from being exposed to poisonous air in mornings. Many private schools also decided to postpone events and suspend classes. Some private companies advised employees to take leave or work from home.

 In a desperate move, the Delhi Cabinet directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to explore the possibility of engaging an expert agency to study the reasons for the current air pollution and recommend remedial steps.

During a cabinet meeting on pollution, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is even alleged to have lost his cool and lashed out at a senior Environment Department official after he expressed his team’s helplessness in tackling the smog situation.

While the Union Minister of State for Environment Anil Madhav Dave – after a meeting with the environment ministers of Delhi, Haryana and Punjab – said that the Delhi itself was responsible for 80% of the air pollution in the national capital, the city’s Aam Aadmi Party government blamed the state governments of Haryana and Punjab for the crisis.

 In an emergency meeting with Delhi government ministers and officials, Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung ordered several stringent measures to curb pollution including the deregistration of diesel vehicles older than 15 years, a ban on the use of firecrackers during weddings and other non-religious events  as well as imposing heavy fines for failure to control dust at construction sites.

However, environmental experts and scientists say these moves have come too late.

“In other countries, as soon as pollution levels touch the ‘severe’ category, the concerned authorities issue certain guidelines such as closure of schools and offices, health notifications among others,” says Shambhavi Shukla, a researcher at Centre for Science and Environment.

“In Delhi, air pollution was in ‘severe’ category from 27 October. Recently, the worst smog in 17 years was witnessed in the city. But the government did not do anything,” she adds.

Shukla is not the only expert with such views. A retired central government scientist also levels similar charges against the Centre and the Delhi government for rising air pollution.

“We voted the BJP and the AAP because it had ushered in a ray of hope in times of despair. However, I see no difference whatsoever,” he says, insisting on remaining anonymous.

“As these parties are busy playing the blame game and politicising the matter. They don’t realise that they are putting people living in the capital city under threat,” he adds.

Shukla adds that the concerned authorities — Union Ministry of Environment, Delhi government, Delhi Pollution Control Committee and civic bodies — should have been prepared with short-term and long-term precautionary measures to tackle the deteriorating air quality in the city.

“They should have defined what are the short-term and long-term measures beforehand. For example, they could have increased the efficiency of public transport, including Delhi Metro and buses so that more people avail these services rather than using their vehicles, as a short-term measure,” the researcher says.

“As a long-term measure, they should have started work on containing the polluting factors in Bhalswa dumping ground as well as the Badarpur power plant,” Shukla adds.

Agreeing with Shukla, the former scientist says, “The Central Pollution Control Board had issued a 42-point guideline last year keeping Delhi’s rising air pollution in mind. But the state government was lax in its approach.”

“How could they implement those guidelines? It would affect their vote bank. Despite being rapped by the National Green Tribunal and the Centre, the Delhi government did not pursue the matter vociferously,” he charges.

On the Delhi government’s odd-even drive, conducted twice to restrict cars on roads, Shukla says, “The first phase of odd-even policy in January did not really help. Despite slowing down vehicular pollution, the air quality was extremely worse in the first week of January.”

“Odd-even is no long-term measure to control pollution. If you ask me, it is highly inconvenient,” the scientist rues.

“When the NGT initially ordered the registration of old diesel vehicles, the government and traders cried foul. Now these politicians feel the noose tightening around their necks due to the smog,” he says.

The retired scientist alleges that the Aam Aadmi Party is trying to play safe due to the upcoming elections in Punjab.

“Have they done anything new? There was already a ban on burning of waste and leaves. The government has just reiterated the measures that had already been implemented. The difference is now they actually seem concerned about it, ” he says.

Crucial step

The researcher says the most crucial step the authorities can take is to limit the number of vehicles in the capital.

“It does sound like an authoritarian step but it is absolutely required. Nearly 1,500 vehicles are registered every day in Delhi. Unless the number of vehicles is controlled, things are not going to get better. People should be allowed to buy a car only if they show proof of a parking space,” she says. Parking fees should also be increased.

On farm fires and burning of agricultural wastes, the experts say that the government must ensure that alternative methods of waste disposal are made available to farmers.

“The agricultural waste can be used as dry fodder for cattle and other livestock during acute shortage or summers. It can be used as an alternative form of manure and even biofuel,” says the scientist.

“The problem, however, is that this is a very expensive process. Hence, the government must provide subsidies and proper support to the agrarian community to ensure this is done,” he adds.

Shukla says the Environment Pollution Control Authority has filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking its intervention in monitoring air pollution in Delhi.

“The air quality level in Delhi is at ‘very poor’ status now. However, as we are approaching the winters, this level is bound to go up to the ‘severe’ category, which will affect a healthy person but also trouble people with respiratory problems. Now, the government needs to plan a long-term solution,” Shukla adds.

The former scientist agrees that it is high time the government and civic agencies realise that prevention is better than cure.

“I don’t want the Centre, the state governments and the civic bodies to take steps to control air pollution for us. They should at least think about them. The sooner they realise that pollution harms them as much as a common man, maybe they will wake up,” he says.