Battling Smog

Even as the national capital is enveloped by smoke from stubble burning in the surrounding states, its government has initiated a number of steps to curb it. Will they succeed and lead to cleaner air?

- Abhilash Kumar Singh

POISON IN THE AIR

DELHI and its satellite cities are once again facing the menace of air pollution. The conditions have gone from poor to hazardous as Punjab and Haryana record higher stubble burning incidents this season as compared to last year. In the first two weeks of October 2020, Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) was worse than in the same period in 2018 and 2019,according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Several factors lead to a drop in air quality—transport emissions, biomass and waste burning, dust, industries and power plants. Of these, stubble burning in neighbouring states, including Pun jab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, is considered to be the major reason for hazy skies during winter in Delhi.

Apart from the aforesaid factors, there is one more reason for the present situation and that is lack of centre-state coordination. The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, in its research based on data for 2018 and 2019, has found that Delhi’s pollution is localised and not caused by farm fires. It said that the AQI for Punjab is much better than in Delhi.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh pointed out that this is something the state had been maintaining for the past several years. Singh reportedly said: “It was obvious that Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, who had been blaming Pun jab’s farm fires for the poor AQI levels in the national capital for the past several years, was taking refuge in brazen falsehoods to divert public attention from the AAP government’s total failure to control the environmental situation in Delhi.”