Pollution Is Not Only A Post-Diwali Issue, It's There Throughout The Year, Let's Accept It

Beginning with October every year, pollution becomes a topic of discussion in every Delhi household. As Diwali approaches, social media is flooded with posts about clean and cracker-free Diwali. This time, however, it wasn't just all words and no action. The Supreme Court put an unprecedented ban on the sale of crackers.

But, despite the heated debates and even banning both, crackers and burning of stubble, Delhi has turned into a gas chamber with everybody unwillingly smoking 50 cigarettes a day.

AFP

This only goes on to prove that pollution isn't something that needs to be discussed and dealt with only in a particular month. It's a perennial problem and needs to be addressed accordingly.

Here are a few reasons pollution isn't just an event; but, is in fact, a persistent issue.

1. Delhi buys 1400 cars daily

Reuters

According to a study in 2014, Delhi buys 1400 cars every day, out of which nearly 50 percent are diesel cars. This means that besides two wheelers, three wheelers and heavy vehicles, 1400 cars are added to the already exploding traffic of Delhi every single day.

2. Only 4 percent in 2000, nearly half of the cars run on diesel now

In 2000, diesel cars accounted for only 4 percent of all car sales. But, now half the cars sold run on diesel. In fact, in 2015-16, the number of new vehicles registered in Delhi shot up to 8.77 lakh, from 5.34 lakh in 2014-15, according to the Delhi Statistical Hand Book 2016.

AFP

3. Public transport is failing to meet the demand

Recently, Delhi metro saw a fare-hike which bared the loopholes and lack of planning and efficiency on the part of the government. This hike couldn't have possibly come at a worse time. With Delhi engulfed in smog, the last thing we need is public transport becoming expensive and less affordable. Also, despite a Supreme Court order saying Delhi should have 11000 public transport buses, an estimated 6251 are in service.

4. The Yamuna continues to get dirtier

While we discuss air pollution with masks strapped on to our faces, Yamuna is getting dirtier every day. The condition is so bad, that the 22-km stretch of Yamuna that falls in Delhi doesn't have any aquatic life.

AFP

21 nullahs discharge around 850 MGD of sewage into the Yamuna every day, of which 67 percent pollution is caused by the Najafgarh drain alone.

5. Stubble burning

PTI

Needless to say, stubble burning significantly contributes to pollution. October is the month when farmers burn the paddy stubble in order to prepare their land for the next crop of wheat. Playing the blame game and holding the farmers solely responsible for this act would be irrational, to say the least. Better ways need to be developed to help the farmers and at the same time, curb pollution.

6. Delhi produces 8,300 metric tonnes of garbage every day

bccl

Landfills are unable to contain the amount of waste the city is producing. In way too many places, people are welcomed by stinking piles of garbage strewn about in abandoned plots and even in residential areas. If studies are to be believed, Delhi alone produces 8300 metric tonnes of garbage every day.

7. Too many people and not enough resources

AFP

There is no denying that pollution is directly proportional to population. Although Delhi has seen a decline in the number of people migrating to the city in last few years, yet Delhi's population is increasing. There are obviously not enough resources to support the ballooning population. Also, more people means more vehicles and more pollution - air, land and water.

The alarm bells cannot get any louder and clearer. The nightmare of having to walk around with masks and oxygen cylinders has almost come true and the haze is refusing to go away. It's high time that every one of us takes responsibility for our actions and do our bit for the environment. We're already on the edge and if we do not wake up now, we might just fall over sooner than we expected.