Needed: Affirmative action on pollution

The Supreme Court (SC), on Thursday, rapped the Delhi government and the Centre, giving them 24 hours to propose concrete measures to control industrial and vehicular pollution. This comes after the SC’s November 15 order directing the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas to take steps to control pollution. The Commission, on November 16, announced some emergency measures including a ban on construction work, but many say this was too late.

It risks repetition to state that Delhi’s pollution story is a terrifying — but foreseeable — one. In November, air quality was the worst since the Central Pollution Control Board started maintaining records in 2015, with the average Air Quality Index at 376, and Delhi suffering 11 “severe” air quality days. Severe air corresponds to average PM 2.5 concentrations of over 250 micrograms per cubic metre. To put this in context, according to the World Health Organization, the safe range is 15 micrograms per cubic metre.

Year on year, Delhi’s residents are exposed to dangerous air pollution levels in the winter, but the State has not risen to this public health crisis in time. Its failure to implement pre-emptive measures will mean more such spikes in air pollution, and with it, several illnesses. In children, this includes reduced lung growth and asthma. In adults, ischaemic heart disease and stroke are the most common causes of premature death due to air pollution. The Capital needs proactive action from the Delhi government and the Centre based on air quality forecasts by the ministry of earth sciences. The residents of Delhi deserve affirmative and proactive action.