Lack of coordinated action failed Delhi’s anti-pollution plans

NEWDELHI: The latest WHO report, ranking Delhi as the world’s most polluted city, shows despite all the anti-pollution measures that have been taken up since the 2016 smog, little has changed in the national Capital.

Experts said even though Delhi woke up to the problem rather late and measures were being taken in bits and pieces initially, coordinated and target oriented efforts were launched only after 2016 much on the lines of what Beijing, ranked fifth, had done earlier.

Citing examples of cities which have cut pollution levels with sustained efforts, experts said that Delhi too can have cleaner air in the future with coordinated efforts.

“All we need is a clear time bound and target oriented action plan, which is verifiable and can be monitored. Efforts in this regard have already begun over the last two to three years and results are already showing improvements,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

Despite the toxic haze that engulfed Delhi for more than a week in November 2017, the national Capital breathed comparatively cleaner air in 2017 than it did in 2016.

Several measures have been initiated since the winter of 2016 when Delhi witnessed its worst smog in many years. While the comprehensive action plan has been notified giving it a legal sanctity, the Graded Response Action plan for very poor and severe pollution levels was implemented for the first time in 2017 winter. The ban on pet coke and furnace oil, shift from BSIV to BSVI standard fuel, the Centre notifying the SOX and NOX standards for industries and the Prime Minister’s Office stepping in to curb pollution from crop residue burning would go a long way in curbing pollution in DelhiNCR, feel experts.

“Pollution level in the IndoGangetic plains has always remained higher than other parts of India. While anthropogenic activities trigger heavy pollution, meteorology also plays a very important role.we could see some improvement soon,” said D Saha former head of the CPCB’S air quality laboratory.

Experts have also cautioned about smaller cities such as Aligarh, Firozabad, Agra and Bareilly where pollution is increasing at a much faster rate than Delhi and NCR.

“Delhi and NCR has already come up with an extensive monitoring network. But it is lacking in other cities. Besides this PM2.5 data is available only for a few cities. Plans are going on to increase the number of monitoring stations across the country under the National Clean Air Programme,” said a CPCB official.