Opinion | Clean Air And Blue Skies Still Far For India

India faces some of the highest levels of air pollution in the world, with Delhi ranking among the most polluted capital cities. Air pollution poses a serious threat to the country's health and economy. According to a World Bank report, all of India's 1.4 billion people are exposed to unhealthy levels of ambient PM2.5—the most harmful pollutant—emanating from multiple sources. On 7 September, as we observe the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, it is once again a day to raise awareness about this persistent public health crisis and demand urgent action.

Ahead of the winter season, when Delhi experiences its worst air pollution crisis, the state government appears to be more proactive this year. Last week, the Supreme Court (SC) criticised the air pollution boards of Delhi/NCR, Punjab, and Haryana for being ‘ineffective'. The SC questioned the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the body responsible for tackling pollution in the region, about its plans to address pollution and stubble burning—the primary cause of seasonal AQI (air quality index) spikes.

Court as Monitor

For the last forty years, the SC has actively monitored and responded to issues related to air pollution, especially given that the capital is one of the most polluted cities in the world, despite various measures. Some of the SC's decisions have positively impacted Delhi and its citizens. For instance, the switch to CNG for public transport and taxis did help improve Delhi's air quality, though implementing this order was challenging for the state government. However, the increase in private vehicles has exacerbated air pollution. Additionally, the SC's order to install smog towers in the capital turned out to be unscientific, as these did not effectively curb air pollution.

In an affidavit filed on 31 August, the CAQM for the Delhi-National Capital Region shared its action plan for 2024. Both Punjab and Haryana have also submitted affidavits to the SC detailing their targets to “achieve zero paddy residue burning events”.

However, in Punjab, the area under paddy cultivation has increased from 3.1 million hectares in 2023 to 3.154 million hectares in 2024, leading to a rise in paddy straw generation from 19.47 million tonnes to 19.52 million tonnes. With the expanded area of paddy cultivation, Punjab will need to find effective ways to manage the additional stubble this year. Only time will tell if and how the states adhere to their commitments.

The SC's guidelines on punitive actions, such as denying minimum support price (MSP) benefits to stubble burners, have become a sensitive issue for political parties in poll-bound Haryana, Delhi, and Punjab. Delhi will hold its assembly election during the winter season, which will also see a peak in pollution. This will be a critical test for the AAP government in Delhi, which may face criticism for blaming neighbouring states like Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh for the annual smog due to stubble burning. Smog has been a significant issue for Delhi residents and will likely be a major election topic for both citizens and political parties.

Politics over Pollution

Delhi's Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, recently claimed that the city had seen a 30% drop in pollution over the past nine years. Referring to a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report, Rai stated that only 31% of Delhi's pollution is caused locally, with the remainder coming from NCR states.

The AAP government struggled to address worsening smog in Delhi-NCR last year and did not address stubble burning and its alternatives with its counterpart in Punjab. Punjab recorded 36,663 burning events in 2023, down by 27% from 49,922 incidents in 2022. Haryana recorded 2,303 stubble fires in 2023, a 37% decrease from 2022. Despite these reductions, air quality in Delhi-NCR was assessed as among the worst in 2023.

Given this context, the AAP government in Delhi is making proactive statements this year. The Delhi government is also planning to conduct artificial rain as an emergency measure to tackle Delhi's air quality issues.

Another major source of air pollution in Delhi is vehicular emissions. According to recent data from the Delhi Transport Department, of the 8.29 million operating vehicles (both two- and four-wheelers) in the city, the Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCC) for 2.62 million vehicles have expired and not been renewed. This is alarming, as a study by the Delhi government and IIT-Kanpur revealed that vehicular emissions contributed to approximately 38% of the city's air pollution last November.

During winter, hazardous air quality is worsened by adverse weather conditions, vehicular emissions, paddy straw burning, firecrackers, and other local factors in Delhi-NCR.

Exposure to air pollution can lead to various diseases, including asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It can also cause severe illnesses such as lung cancer, stroke, and heart disease. In 2019, air pollution was responsible for 1.67 million deaths in India, accounting for 17.8% of the total deaths in the country.

To combat air pollution and ensure clean air, the Centre launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019. The programme outlined mitigation strategies for reducing PM concentrations at the city level. However, the NCAP has not been particularly effective and has failed to deliver the desired results. States lack sufficient monitoring stations, and inadequate technology or methodologies are used. In rural and remote areas, the lack of awareness has led to poor pollution monitoring, resulting in a significant data gap on AQI.

India is committed to addressing air pollution and has taken steps such as switching to renewable energy, promoting electric vehicles, and supplying LPG cooking fuel to millions of households. However, these measures alone are insufficient.

The Union and state governments must stop relegating pollution issues to the background. Addressing the air pollution problem will not only improve public health but also accelerate climate action and bring India closer to its sustainable development goals.

(The author is Contributing Editor, NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author