Air quality falls in Delhi to ‘severe’ category
Context
Recently, in order to tackle the air pollution in the NCR region, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) imposed a ban on construction activities, alongside banning BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers.
Relevance:
GS-03 (Conservation)
Key Highlights:
Construction Ban
- All construction and demolition activities in Delhi and NCR districts have been banned to reduce dust emissions.
Vehicle Restrictions
- Ban on plying BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar.
- Delhi-registered diesel-operated Medium Goods Vehicles (MGVs) of BS-III standards or below are restricted, except for those carrying essential commodities or services.
- Entry of BS-III and below diesel Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) from outside Delhi is prohibited, except for essential services.
- Inter-state buses (except electric, CNG, or BS-VI diesel vehicles) from NCR states have been barred from entering Delhi, excluding those with All India Tourist Permits.
School Advisory
- CAQM has advised Delhi and NCR states to consider discontinuing physical classes for students up to Class 5 and shifting to online education. However, the decision is left to the respective state governments.
GRAP Implementation
- Stage 3 restrictions come into force from 8 a.m. Friday across Delhi and NCR districts in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
- Stage 1 and 2 restrictions, implemented earlier, remain in effect.
Delhi’s Pollution Accountability
- Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai emphasised that the pollution issue is not solely the responsibility of Delhi’s residents, pointing to broader systemic and regional factors.
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP):
- The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in January 2019 that marks the country’s inaugural attempt to develop a national framework for managing air quality with a targeted goal for reduction within a specified time frame.
- NCAP aims to control the concentration of
- Coarse particles (particulate matter of diameter 10 micrometres or less, known as PM10), and
- Fine particles (particulate matter of diameter 2.5 micrometres or less, known as PM2.5) by a minimum of 20% over the next five years.
- This reduction is gauged against the base year of 2017.
- The programme encompasses 132 non-attainment cities, identified by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
- Non-attainment cities are those that have consistently failed to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for over five years.
- NAAQS defines the standards for ambient air quality concerning various identified pollutants notified by the CPCB under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
- The list of pollutants under NAAQS includes PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, CO, NH3, Ozone, Lead, Benzene, Benzo-Pyrene, Arsenic, and Nickel.
Conclusion
Reducing air pollution is not a one-time effort and also demands a sustained commitment from all the stakeholders. Both the Centre and the States should work on the collaboration between governments, farmers, industries, and the public to collectively fight against air pollution and to protect public health and the environment for future generations.
