The ever growing air pollution in Delhi NCR

[Amit Bhatt]

Hi All:

Delhi has been engulfed with a deadly smog for last 5 days. The quality of air in the region has been ‘severe’  forcing people to remain indoors or leave the city, if possible. 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/NGT-orders-Delhi-government-to-act-after-5-day-smog/articleshow/50018902.cms?

In terms of criteria pollutants, the dangerous levels are these around the ultra fine particles like PM 2.5. When one inhales, the air along with the particles travel into your respiratory system, while the bigger particles get absorbed by the mucus present in nose and throat but the finer ones like PM2.5 travel deeper into the body and special cells in the lung trap these particles and then they can't get out, this often can result in lung disease, emphysema, cancer etc.

 There are various reasons behind this growing pollution including vehicular exhaust, road & construction dust, power plants, during of agricultural waste etc but studies have shown a strong linkage between transportation & air pollution:

1. A study by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology study for Delhi-NCR finds transport sector contribution to PM2.5 to be as high as 45% followed by residential sector at 27%, industries at 24% and power sector at 4% (2011)
2. JNU study finds vehicles contribute 86% of fine particulates (2008): This study finds that if coarse particles are concerned crustal re-suspension is about 68% followed by vehicular pollution at 23%. But in fine particles vehicles contribute 86% and crustal re-suspension at 10% and industrial contribution was 2%. 
3. A study by UrbanEmissions.info (also co-author of Delhi IIT study in question) highlight multi-pollutant crisis -- vehicles contribute 26% of PM2.5, 28% of CO, and 67% of NOx. 

It can be seen that transportation plays a significant role in the air quality in cities, this is further corroborated the empirical funds around the car free day events in Delhi and Gurgaon.

http://www.cseindia.org/content/cse-monitors-pollution-levels-car-free-stretch-delhi

If transport is the biggest contributor to detecting air quality in our cities, we need to address it as a top most priority and here are few things that one can do:

1. Avoid - the indiscriminate use of private automobile by parking restriction, licensing, right infrastructure  design.       
2. Shift - the priority & investment toward walking, cycling and public transport 
3. Improve – the quality and fuels and vehicles by tighter emissions norms and higher fuel quality like Bharath VI   

The Avoid Shift Improve strategy not not theoretical but completely doable and gives an immediate result: 

1. London’s congestion charging scheme in only the first 3 years reduced vehicle traffic by 16 percent and journey times by 14 percent
2. After Beijing restricted the number of cars on the road in 2008, the concentration of PM2.5 fell by 31 percent, and asthma-related doctor visits reduced by 50 percent.
3. Enrique Peñalosa, newly reelected mayor of Bogota, implemented the “Pico y Placa” program, which reduced congestion at peak times by regulating the number of private vehicles on the road based on their license plate numbers. As a result, the city saw up to a 40 percent reduction in private vehicle use on week days. Bogota also managed demand through restricting private vehicle parking and being stricter on vehicles parked in green spaces and on sidewalks.

http://thecityfix.com/blog/translating-national-climate-commitments-local-action-transport-sector-holger-dalkmann-alyssa-fischer/

For the fight against air pollution, we need to set our priorities right and transport is the sector that can give immediate benifts. 

Regards,

Amit