Hazy action plan: The air quality issue in Delhi-NCR needs to go beyond the knee-jerk response seen in previous years – Opinion News

As the monsoon withdraws along with the reprieve that Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) got in terms of air quality, Delhi’s environment minister Gopal Rai has announced a 21-point Winter Action Plan to combat the pollution spells that are seen at this time of the year. However, contrariwise, the Supreme Court on Friday admonished the central body for pollution management in the region, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), for not taking adequate steps to essentially do what it was constituted for. The air quality issue goes beyond what the state government or the Centre plans and simply lands on one thing — despite all the planning and commissions, the region’s residents continue to suffer every year. With a combination of higher vehicular emissions, lowering temperatures that trap pollutants in the air, and stubble burning cases from neighbouring regions, Delhi-NCR’s air quality index (AQI) deteriorates every year, with it reaching the severe category in November and December over the past few years.

Some measures have been taken to combat the issue in the past years. The Delhi government has sprayed fields with bio-decomposer solutions, and experimental anti-smog towers were installed in two areas. Beyond that, Punjab and Haryana also took on the challenge of managing stubble burning with in-situ and ex-situ crop residue management. The Centre has undertaken a crop residue management scheme to this effect, where it assisted the states with funds to provide residue management machinery. Under the scheme, the Centre allocated Rs 1,151 crore in March 2018 to supply farmers with these machines at a 50% subsidised rate.

However, the result of these ambitious measures tells another story. A 2021 report recorded farmers’ discontent with the inefficacy of the bio-decomposing solution. The expensive anti-smog towers were found to be effective in only a 50 m radius. Stubble burning turns into a political blame game every year. Even bodies such as the CAQM fail to do anything concrete. As mentioned by the apex court, the committees set up to tackle the AQI menace meet only once in three months. CAQM has issued merely 87 directions so far in its three-year existence.

Air quality is a multi-dimensional issue, and as such does not have a straightforward solution. However, knee-jerk responses seen in the recent years have proven to be totally ineffective. A proper response plan is required. Delhi could do with taking a leaf out of Beijing’s book. China’s capital is known for being proactive about its pollution management, and has managed to curb it significantly after decades of planning. According to a UN report, it managed to do so by “laws and enforcement mechanisms, systematic planning, strict local standards, and a high level of public engagement”. Its action plans for improving AQI include “specific targets, tightened emissions standards — ahead of national ones — and (close) important loopholes in enforcement”. While Delhi does not have the $2.6-billion budget that Beijing did in 2017, it could incorporate the city’s clear policy direction, innovative measures to get the populace to adopt green tech, as well as the authorities’ proactiveness to act in time against air pollution. The Delhi government’s Winter Action Plan this year consists of ambitious measures such as planned artificial rain— mooted as a step during peak pollution — between November 1 and 15. The Punjab and Haryana governments have assured that they will “eliminate” stubble burning this year. It now remains to be seen if such measures actualise and the lofty promises made are upheld.

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