Delhi’s dirty air: an ongoing problem

On 30 October, Delhi’s air quality was in the ‘very poor’ category and worsened to the ‘severe category’ in some areas, and weather experts predicted that slow wind speed and an increase in stubble burning, especially in Punjab, would make it worse.

One of the main reasons for the rise in air pollution levels in Delhi every autumn is crop burning by farmers, who burn rice stubbles in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh (UP) to prepare the fields for next year’s growing season. It is estimated that approximately 35 million tonnes of crops are set on fire in these states every autumn, and the wind carries all the pollutants and dust particles, which get trapped in the air.

iStock credit Artist Unlimited

The proportion of Delhi’s ambient particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution attributed to farm waste burning rose to 26 per cent in late October, the highest this year.

According to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), 1,761 farm fires were recorded in Punjab on just one Sunday in October and 1,898 were recorded on the day before. It logged 112 and 43 cases of stubble burning in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, respectively, on the same Sunday.

Stubble burning a ‘serious concern’

In late October, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said the increase in incidents of stubble burning in Punjab this year is “a matter of serious concern”. It noted that up to 24 October, only about 39 per cent of the sown area in Punjab had been harvested and therefore the increasing number of farm fires was an alarming situation.

In the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), the capital’s government’s environment minister Gopal Rai said in late October the Delhi government had set up 586 teams to ensure strict implementation of the ban on construction and demolition activities in the city due to the deteriorating air quality.

He added that the Anand Vihar and Vivek Vihar areas of the capital have been reporting high pollution levels continuously which could be due to construction work on the new Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS).

“Therefore, we have directed the user agency to strictly follow the dust pollution control norms,” said Rai. “The government has deployed 15 anti-smog guns in those areas in addition to seven water sprinklers of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.”

Rai also asked the Uttar Pradesh government to use compressed natural gas (CNG) buses in the national capital region, saying diesel-run buses are contributing to high pollution levels at the Delhi-UP border.

Rai said experts have predicted that the wind speed and direction will become unfavourable from early November, which will push the air quality index (AQI) into the ‘severe’ category.

Ban on construction work in Delhi-NCR

With pollution levels deteriorating, on 29 October the Union government’s air quality panel directed authorities to impose a ban on construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR, except for essential projects. Delhi’s authorities were also instructed to implement other measures to cut air pollution in accordance with Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

GRAP is a set of measures to reduce air pollution that must be adopted in Delhi and nearby areas, depending to the severity of the situation.

It classifies the air quality in Delhi-NCR in four different stages: Stage I – ‘Poor’ (AQI 201-300); Stage II – ‘Very Poor’ (AQI 301-400); Stage III – ‘Severe’ (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV – ‘Severe Plus’ (AQI over 450).

Under Stage III, the authorities have been asked to enforce a strict ban on construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR, except for essential projects and non-polluting activities such as plumbing, carpentry, interior decoration and electrical works.

However, the ban does not apply to construction projects essential for national security, defence, railways and metro rail, among others. However, it is likely to affect housing projects in Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and other areas. Mining activities are also not permitted in the Delhi-NCR region.

The next stage in the ‘Severe Plus’ category (Stage IV) includes measures such as a ban on trucks entering Delhi, asking 50 per cent of people employed in public, municipal and private offices to work from home and the closure of educational institutions.

The NCR authorities have also been asked to close down any industries in industrial areas that are not using piped natural gas (PNG) or approved cleaner fuels, despite the availability of piped PNG. In industrial areas where there is no PNG infrastructure and supply, industries not using approved fuels can operate only for five days a week.

Ban on firecrackers

Ahead of Diwali, the Delhi government also classed firecrackers as a primary source of air pollution. In a bid to improve Delhi’s air quality, in September the city government re-imposed a complete ban on the production, sale and use of all types of firecrackers till 1 January, including during Diwali. It has adopted these measures for the last two years.

In early October, the Commission for Air Quality Management ordered the implementation of Stage 1 of the GRAP after Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI was recorded at 211 (poor) on Dussehra.

Interestingly, on 25 October, the day after Diwali, air quality in Delhi was the best in the last seven years. Air quality experts say this was probably due to the favourable weather conditions and wind speeds.

On Diwali day, it was windy and the wind helped prevent the build-up of air pollutants. Gufran Beig, founder and project director at the Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR-India), said that because Diwali was earlier this year the temperature was not low enough for the air to trap pollutants in the lower layers.

“Wind speed picked up around 2am on Tuesday [26 October],” Beig told the Indian Express. “In the early hours of the morning, pollutants would have normally accumulated, when the temperature is cooler and the boundary layer comes down and winds become slower. But the wind speed picked up, aiding dispersion. The highest AQI levels were recorded around midnight, after which it improved and settled at 323 in the morning.”

Immediate health problems

Meanwhile, medical professionals say exposure to air pollution at the levels regularly seen in Delhi-NCR can cause both immediate and long-term health problems. The pollutants are highly toxic and bad for the lungs of children and adults alike, and can cause breathing problems.

Tanuj Sharma, who suffers from an existing asthma condition, and works for an export firm in Delhi, says he often experiences breathing problems as the pollution worsens. “Breathing is tough in this situation,” he says. “Irritation in the eyes, nose and throat due to smog is common as I have to report to work at 9am six days a week and thus cannot escape the pollution. I take proper precautions to keep my health in check by double masking to cover my nose and mouth, but that is not a great solution to prevent the asthma attacks.”

A study by Greenpeace Southeast Asia Analysis and Swiss firm IQAir last year claimed that an estimated 54,000 premature deaths in Delhi in 2020 were due to air pollution.

“The changes have shown air pollution to contribute to other health conditions, such as bladder cancer, lung diseases, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), respiratory infections, and cardiovascular disease,” Dr Avi Kumar, senior consultant, pulmonology, at Delhi’s Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, told India Today.

Meanwhile, writing for the Indian Express, Gufran Beig from SAFAR-India urged everyone to play a role in reducing air pollution in Delhi-NCR. “You can help reduce combustion by conserving energy in your home and at the workplace,” he said.

“Remember the regulations for open burning; make sure that your vehicle is serviced periodically; and think about alternative ways to travel such as walking, biking, taking the bus, or ridesharing. If there is dust, smoke, or any other air quality issues near your home, school and office, please educate people about it."