Eyes burning, throats croaking, lungs paining and other discomforts became a serious menace for residents of Delhi post Diwali. Reason: the national capital has witnessed the worst smog in last 17 years, says the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). A look within to understand what is making Delhi air smoggy and hazardous…
In light of increased vehicular traffic coming to about 90 lakh vehicles as per the Delhi Statistical Handbook 2014-15, air pollution has become a public health crisis. Not only has this led to Delhi experiencing its worst smog but has led had to increase in lung, heart and eye related diseases.
At this juncture it becomes important to understand how government agencies along with corporate and statutory bodiesare combining their efforts to rectify this evil.
Transport and Delhi
Delhi started with the odd-even formula under which odd number registered cars ran on odd days and even number registered cars on even days. There was hope that this would reduce vehicular traffic but its short period of run didn’t have the desired effect of making people more sensitive to pollution. The penalty of INR 2000 did serve as a deterrent but ecological consciousness didn’t turn into a norm. The policy failed also because two-wheelers and women were exempted from this rule. A common rule for all that is at least gender neutral, would lead to better results and more breathable air. Moreover, due to inadequate bus coverage people prefer personal transport to commute. Auto-rickshaws pose a problem since very few ply via meter.
PUC Violations and Remedies
Statistically, trucks and 2-wheelers contribute to almost 80% of air pollution which becomes worse when majority vehicles lack a Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate. According to a Delhi Transport Department report in November 2016, over 500 pollution centers are going unchecked that has led to further deterioration of PUC standards with only 12 pollution control officers managing 500 PUC centers. Delhi Traffic Police observed that almost 600 vehicles didn’t carry valid PUC certificates. With diesel SUV’s and trucks constituting almost 23% of vehicular traffic, it’s a bad situation. Startups, such as Ola and Uber and many more, can be mobilized on a wider basis to counter this situation. Penalties in the range of Rs. 5000-10000 can make a difference. Professional and accountable personnel at the ground level arecrucial towards resolving this scenario. Private sector participation can be of suitable help here.
Lack of Parking and Resolutions
Shambhavi Shukla, Research Associate, Department of Clean Air and Mobility, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Delhi, makes an interesting point, “A critical reason why Delhi experiences increasing pollution is because parking spaces are rapidly becoming scarce. Delhi witnesses on an average, 1000 cars being registered at the Regional Transport Office (RTO) which doesn’t translate into increasing parking space. A smart way to combat this menace is issuing Registration Certificates (RC) to owners who have given evidence that they have adequate and designated parking space.” Noida has implemented the above procedure and has seen marked decrease in fights over parking and air pollution. As per IBM Global Parking Index 2011, an average urban motorist spends 20 minutes more on road due to parking problems. This is not only a waste of time but loss of productivity. Interestingly, Get My Parking (GMP), a Delhi based venture started by IIT-Delhi and FMS Delhi Alumni has been instrumental in providing real time information of available parking spots in Delhi-NCR via GMP App for commuter vehicles.
Alternative Transportation Systems
E-Rickshaws and cycle rickshaws in Delhi can lead to drastic reduction of air pollution but they face major hurdles. Advanced Structures India Report 2010 shows that, despite CO2 from E-Rickshaws amounting to 19.1 gm per passenger km (gm/p/km) in comparison to CNG Auto Rickshaws generating 23.556 gm/p/km, e-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws face hurdles. Issues such as time consuming issuance of ‘Road Worthiness Certificate’, improper maintenance and violation of safety regulations, improper fare chart and inadequate coverage of crucial roads need remediation. Though the Delhi government has relaxed Value Added Tax (VAT) and issued subsidy of almost 20000 Rs as per Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) records, implementation is a problem. Film stars and political leaders can be brought on stage to increase public sentiment. Swachh Bharat shouldn’t be limited to mopping roads.
C & D and Solutions
With Delhi investing more in building infrastructure, construction waste has led to generation of road dust which upon mixing with air pollutants has led to smog generation. According to a recent report by The Hindu, Delhi on an average generated 5000 Megatons (MT) of Construction and Demolition Waste (C&D) everyday out of which waste processing capacity amounted to just 2500 MT. The Burari Plant in Delhi under the Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (Il&FS) converts almost 1500 tonnes of C&D waste into tiles, pavement blocks, hollow bricks and manufactured sand. This is still low considering that less than half of C&D waste is treated and that the Burari plant is the only C&D waste Recycling Plant in India despite the Urban Development Ministry having advised all state governments to establish such plants in their respective states.
Startups are of importance here. Green Cement such as pollution eating concrete developed by ItalCementi used in the Palazzo Italia in Italy has led to reduced carbon emissions. Though green cement is expensive than traditional ones in the initial stage, it improves building life and prevents dulling of colors. ‘Green Subsidies’ in this regard from concerned ministries can help real estate sector to reduce their carbon footprint too. Green paint such as Knoxout used as part of Graffiti Paintings in Philippines, is of particular interest. It contains Ultrafine Titanium Dioxide that reacts with incoming greenhouse gases such as NO2, CO and SO2, converts them into harmless substances that can easily be washed away by the next rainfall. A broad canvas for aspiring artists to paint and breathable air in Delhi serve as incentives worth investment.
Solid waste and Bio-Remediation
Population boom in Delhi has led to more solid waste being generated to the tune of 10000 Metric Tonnes per Day (MTPD). Conversion of Solid Waste-to-Energy (WTE) can serve as a means to reduce land and air pollution. As per a recent survey by Firstpost with support from Chintan NGO and CSE, Delhi, a surprising thing was found. The Timarpur-Okhla Waste Management Company recycled only 1300 MTPD of solid waste compared to waste generation of almost 10000 MTPD. Majority of unprocessed waste was burnt to save space and time leading to further air pollution particularly deadly winter smog. Ministry of New And Renewable Energy (MNRE) estimates put WTE generation at just 130 Mega Watt which can increase if waste generated is recycled and reused. Bio-remediation techniques such as these need constant funding and support to increase share of renewable energy towards sustainable electricity generation. Shambhavi mentions the case study of Tihar Jail, Delhi “One of the most notorious but green jails of India Tihar Jail got a bio-gas plant which in turn can process 750 kg of waste per day and produce bio-gas in 15-20 days for cooking purposes. This novel idea can be implemented by RWA’s as well who can demarcate a small area wherein solid organic wastes, which households produce in huge amounts, can be processed and used for cooking.”
Idling and Fuel Expenses
A major feature of Delhi roads is that most vehicles would be seen needlessly idling at traffic signals. As per a recent survey under ‘Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Program’ conducted by IIT Delhi and Desert Research Institute Reno, while calculating the GPS logs of buses and the speed and fuel consumption of 2 and 3-wheelers, it was found that majority cars were running at less than 4 KMPH for 24% of the time. Though the life of modern cars is almost 15-25 years with proper maintenance and intelligible driving practices, the study revealed that the life of vehicles with idling went down to just 4-4.5 years. Imagine a million cars plying on Delhi roads and engaging in idling. IIT-Delhi put fuel wastage worth 2.5 lakh liters per day. That multiplied with our petrol budget would be mind boggling. No wonder India needs to increase its Oil Budget every year in fact every quarter. Creating dispatch teams towards assessing ‘Driver Performance’ on a random basis can make drivers sensitive towards optimal fuel usage. This proposal has been suggested in Bengaluru Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) and estimates put fuel savings at Rs 3 Crore annually for the entire Bengaluru bus fleet. Extreme measures can include hefty fines ranging from Rs2000-5000, to declaring specific zones as ‘No Idling Zones’ and deflating tires of idling vehicles. In most cases, social ridicule and humiliation serve as effective remedies to invoke public conscience.
Ultimately, ‘Sustainable and Green living’ needs to be transformed into a choice to make a real difference. Of course, the transition is tough but a synthesis with nature is certainly worth aspiring to.