Once Again Toxic Air Pollution Shrouds Delhi, And As Usual, Govt Isn¡¯t Ready With A Plan Yet
Air quality has slipped back to &lsquopoor&rsquo category due to change in direction of the wind which is now flowing from stubble burning areas in Punjab and Haryana. Smoke and fumes from unregulated crop-burning across northern India factories cars and even fire-crackers combine to form a pungent concoction.
Delhi, once again, is on the verge of becoming a gas chamber. Smoke and fumes from unregulated crop-burning across northern India, factories, cars, and even fire-crackers, combine to form a pungent concoction.
The national capital¡¯s air quality has slipped back to ¡®poor¡¯ category due to change in direction of the wind, which is now flowing from stubble burning areas in Punjab and Haryana.
In the wake of perilous air quality making a return, the Delhi government, last year, announced a slew of measures to be taken to curb pollution, but none seem to be fulfilled so far.
No update on anti-pollution towers
Last year, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) had announced the installation of anti-pollution tower to fight bad air in Delhi. The tower was installed under the Indraprastha Marg flyover, near ITO, to fight air pollution that reaches alarming levels, especially during the winter months.
The anti-pollution tower is fitted with exhaust fans to suck in polluted air. A machine inside the tower then removes nearly 90 per cent of the particulate matter, helping to bring down pollution levels and spews fresh air out.
?? In a first, Delhi govt begins trial of Anti-Pollution Towers to tackle the air pollution in Delhi.
¡ª AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 16, 2018
?? The pilot project of Anti Pollution Towers aimed to absorb PM2.5, PM10 & other suspended materials in the air and release fresh air back into the atmosphere. pic.twitter.com/2oJVhWiWgU
Officials said that if the pilot project turns out to be successful, more such machines would be installed, especially at busy traffic intersections.
However, there isn¡¯t a single update on the status of anti-pollution tower from the authorities. When contacted, Dr MP George, Air Lab Scientist, DPCC, told Indiatimes that the anti-pollution towers were merely installed on trial basis. ¡°The anti-pollution towers were only put up on an experimental basis. Those were not installed by us. There isn¡¯t any update on it¡±, he said.
There isn¡¯t a report to ascertain if the towers were at all effective.
Pollution by construction activities
In June, the state government briefly halted civil construction activities. Delhi¡¯s lieutenant governor Anil Baijal directed government agencies and municipal corporations to enforce dust control measures at construction sites, carry out water sprinkling and mechanised sweeping of roads and prevent open garbage burning to prevent dust pollution.
The construction activities resumed soon, only adding to toxicity.
Mechanical sweeping of road
Among other measures to control dust particles in air, the Delhi government announced to introduce mechanical sweeping of road, in an effort to control dust. The plan was laid out to clean wider stretches like Ring Road and National Highways at night. However, plans to deploy small vacuum machines for internal lanes and markets could not be implemented due to technical issues.
Uneven roads, broken pavements poor road design hampered the project.
Anti-smog gun a cosmetic measure
The Delhi government announced the deployment of an ¡®anti-smog¡¯ gun for major city roads. The device sprays atomised water (tiny droplets of water) up to a height of 50 metres, creating an artificial mist, which is expected to stick to air-borne pollutants and bring them down to the ground.
However, when the effectiveness of the gun was studied, it has little impact on air quality readings.
Reuters
The use of anti-smog gun is expected to suppress air-borne particles and dust on road surface. There has been little-to-no impact and how much area or air this machine can impact is a serious question. After the government's maiden attempt to curb pollution using anti-smog guns, the Central Pollution Control Board found that even to control dust it would take 50,000 such machines.
A study by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology said that Delhi might be paying the steepest price for its deadly air pollution, with life expectancy dropping by 6.4 years, likely to account for the highest number of premature deaths in India.
The air quality in Delhi-NCR continues to degrade and in the interim, industries across the region which were asked to shut down are still functional. There is little check on garbage burning on mountain-like landfill sites in and around Delhi.
Delhi currently is a quagmire of administrative ineffectiveness and blame game, and it is the people who suffer the most.