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The AQI is likely to enter ‘severe’ levels next week, as PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations rise over the national capital.
People and cars can be seen on the road amid the morning smog in New Delhi. (File photo: Reuters)
The measures outlined under the Range Response Action Plan should be implemented throughout the year, not just in winter, say experts as Delhi’s air quality levels continue to deteriorate despite enforcement of phase 2 of the GRAP. The Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeded 300, indicating high concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10.
The latest forecast from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) Pune suggests that the AQI may enter the severe phase this coming week as weather conditions remain unfavorable. Wind directions have changed to the northwest, favoring the entry of smoke from the burning of stubble, while the explosion of explosives remains a concern.
“Normally, pollution levels begin to increase in late October and early November when temperatures drop and contribute to liver inflammation. Even if phase 2 of GRAP has been implemented, it is not enough. The actions outlined in it should be done throughout the year, not just in the winter season,” said Shambhavi Shukla, program manager at the New Delhi-based Center for Science and Environment (CSE).
WEAK WORK ON EARTH
Under section 2 of GRAP, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) urges people to reduce their cars, switch to public transport and avoid dust-producing activities and the open burning of waste and biomass. The 11-point plan also asks pollution control agencies to start spraying water to reduce road dust, vacuum/mechanical sweeping, and ensure uninterrupted power supply to prevent the use of diesel generating sets.
“GRAP is a band solution. It didn’t work before and it won’t work this year either. If the AQI reaches the ‘poor’ category, GRAP agreements are initiated. However, many of the steps within the GRAP involve actions that should be routine throughout the year, regardless of wind conditions. Effective waste management, banning open burning, enforcing pollution laws, controlling traffic, and suppressing dust on roads and construction sites should all be routine — not emergency responses. Unfortunately, we start using these only when air pollution has reached toxic levels,” commented Dr Chandra Bhushan, president and CEO of iFOREST.
SAME PROBLEM, SAME SOURCES, NO SOLUTION
A real-time source allocation study conducted by a consortium led by IIT-Kanpur in the winter of 2022-23 showed that secondary aerosols contribute 32% to Delhi’s pollution – these particles such as nitrates and sulfates are formed by the interaction of toxic gases in the atmosphere. then it goes away. This is followed by biomass burning in and outside Delhi (24%) and vehicular gas (17%).
The sources are constant—vehicles, biomass burning, waste burning, construction activities, and partial burning of fossil fuels—depending on the climate. This year is no different. We must, however, change our response to it. Desperate measures like planting artificial rain clouds are expensive and may not work. We need to invest in electrification of cargo transport vehicles (LCVs and HCVs), electric heaters and electric cooking methods to avoid the burning of wood and coal, and to end open burning of waste,” said Dr R Subramanian, Head of Air Quality. at the Center for Studies in Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP).
Data shows that Delhi’s air is toxic throughout the year, however, pollution levels exceed the national air quality standards (NAAQS) 5-6 times in winter. Professor Sagnik Dey of the Center for Atmospheric Sciences, IIT Delhi said the challenge lies in the weak application on the ground.
“The implementation must be foolproof at all levels if we have to bend the curve – be it technology, policy level and behavior. There is a new retrofit technology for DG sets that can significantly reduce gas emissions, but no one is under any policy directives or compulsion to use it. We can run hundreds of public buses , but how can we convince people to use them? When it comes to implementation, we are really lagging behind,” added Professor Dey.
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