The winter season in north India, which should bring welcome respite to people from the heat in the plains that goes on and on for months and is a time to celebrate festivals, should be a time of enjoyment and relaxation for them, but in Delhi, it is synonymous with hazardous levels of air pollution which actually make those who can afford to leave the city do so till the situation improves a little.
Even though there are a number of reasons that add to the capital’s air pollution woes like vehicles, industries, power plants, waste burning etc, yet, the politicians have umpteen times blamed the farmers of neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana for burning their crop residue. Taking serious note of the problem, the government in 2021 decided to set up a commission for air quality management in the National Capital Region and adjoining areas.
The statutory authority – the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR and adjoining areas – has been the sole authority with jurisdiction over matters such as air quality management. So is there hope that Delhi this time will see more coordinated action to tackle the menace of air pollution?
Air pollution is hard to mitigate since it is a multi-dimensional problem – industry, vehicular, biomass/waste burning, and dust all contribute significantly, and each has its own political, regulatory, and technical challenges.
Stubble burning
The burning of paddy straw by the farmers in neighboring states sparks a blame game every year. As per experts, Punjab and Haryana alone generate 30 million tonnes of paddy straw every year, of which only a small fraction is used. Nevertheless, burning stubble contributes at least 15 per cent to the city’s total air pollution. However, what is different this winter and giving hope to affected residents across the region is that instead of the annual inter-state political blame game, the AAP-led governments, both in the states of Punjab and Delhi, can offer a coordinated solution to effectively tackle this problem.
Recently, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued a notice to the chief secretary of Punjab after the statutory body took cognizance of a media report which claimed that the farm fire incidents have already begun in the state with 656 incidents which were up by around 63 per cent against the corresponding period for the previous year. The report says there is a rise of 241 cases. As per the report, district Amritsar was the worst-hit district with 429 farm fire cases and Tarn Taran Sahib district stands second with 88 such incidents.
The principal bench of NGT, comprising chairperson Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel observed that stubble burning around autumn is stated to be one of the biggest contributing factors to the air pollution across the northern region especially the national capital and surrounding areas. The opinion of the farmer-led outfits in Punjab has been recorded in the report by mentioning that the farmer outfits have made it clear to the state government that although they are against the burning of stubble, but without a viable alternative or financial incentive, they would have no option but to continue with the status quo.
The matter is listed for November 8 for further consideration. Farmers from the Malwa belt of the Punjab told this newspaper that they are still harvesting their crops and probably the farm fires have not yet fully begun. So will the farmers continue with the age-old practice or is there really any alternative for the management of crop residue?
No quick or easy Solution
There seems to be no easy or quick solution to the problem of stubble burning which contributes significantly to air pollution. Mechanized farming methods may be the first approach to tackle the problem and farmers can use a ‘baler’ to clear their fields from the paddy straw.‘Baler’ is an implement used as a tractor attachment to convert crop residue like hay, flax straws, etc. into bales that are later used for various purposes such as feeding animals. ‘Baler’ makes the crop residue easier to store and transport. The price of baler in India ranges from Rs 4-80 lakh.
To address air pollution and to subsidize machinery required for the management of crop residue, a Central sector scheme on ‘Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi’ is being implemented from 2018-19. Under this scheme, financial assistance at 50 per cent of the cost of machinery is provided to the farmers for the purchase of identified crop residue management machinery.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is also promoting biomass co-firing for the recovery of energy that promotes the setting up of biomass pellets and briquettes manufacturing unit Apart from the benefits of the scheme, Pusa Decomposer Technology developed by ICAR - Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), is also being used by the farmers. During 2020, Pusa Decomposer was provided for 5730 ha area to Uttar Pradesh (3700 ha), Punjab (200 ha), Delhi (800 ha), West Bengal (510 ha), Telangana (100 ha). Still, the smoke that emanates from the burning of paddy stubble in the neighbouring states contributes to only 15 per cent of air pollution in Delhi. There are multiple other factors that contribute to the air pollution.
What the Experts say
Experts say that the farm fires are yet to begin in Punjab and Haryana and it is too early to predict anything.“Farmers are yet to burn the crop residue. It will be too early to say that the city residents may get any kind of respite from the air pollution,” Avikal Somvanshi, senior programme manager, Centre for Science and Environment, said, while speaking to this newspaper.
On the steps taken by the government, Somvanshi said, “I don’t see any dramatic or drastic action taken by the government. Even the Delhi government’s 15-point action plan is similar to previous years.”He said that the problem is that the governments or the members of civil society get attentive only during the winter season when the pollution levels are at their peak.“GRAP is an emergency plan but if we have to tackle the menace, we need to reduce the base pollution in Delhi by implementing it throughout the year,” Somvanshi said.“Delhi cannot control pollution from neighbouring states but it can reduce the base pollution that is generated within the city,” the air pollution expert said.
Just a couple of days back, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said that as per the dynamic model and forecasts for weather and meteorological conditions and air quality made available by India Meteorological Department and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, there is a likelihood of the average Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi dipping to the ‘very poor’ category (Delhi AQI- 301-400) on October 23 and 24, owing to unfavorable meteorological and climatic conditions.On Sunday morning, Delhi’s overall air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 266. According to data by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city’s average AQI settled at 248 in the ‘poor’ category till 4 pm on Saturday. Sensing that the situation can deteriorate further, the CAQM issued statutory directions to strictly implement measures under the second stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
Graded response action plan
GRAP – Graded Response Action Plan – is a set of steps implemented to prevent deterioration of air quality in the Delhi-NCR region. The plan was approved by the Supreme Court in 2016 and notified in 2017. GRAP categorises actions into four stages: Stage I - ‘Poor’ (AQI 201-300), Stage II - ‘Very Poor’ (AQI 301-400), Stage III - ‘Severe’ (AQI 401-450), and Stage IV - ‘Severe Plus’ (AQI > 450).
Stage 1 mandates the suspension of work at private construction and demolition projects. A complete ban is enforced on the use of coal and firewood at hotels, restaurants, and open eateries. Ensuring the proper implementation of guidelines for dust mitigation at construction and demolition project sites and sound environmental management of resulting waste is also part of stage 1.
The second stage measures involve increasing parking fees to discourage private transport and enhancing CNG/electric buses and metro services by introducing additional fleets and increasing service frequency.
Under stage III, BS III petrol and BS IV diesel four-wheelers are prohibited from operating in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddh Nagar.
The final stage IV includes banning all types of construction and demolition work. In this regard, state governments are authorised to decide on online classes for school students and work-from-home arrangements for government as well as private offices during such situations. A complete halt on construction and demolition work except for essential government projects, mining, and stone crushing is also enforced through the plan.
Delhi government has bolstered the fight against pollution by launching an intensive anti-dust campaign.
Apart from this, it has also announced a Winter Action Plan under which a range of actions, from setting up a war room in the Delhi secretariat to forming hundreds of teams to monitor the implementation of this campaign, has been done.
Do smog towers make a difference?
After AQI levels escalated following the annual episode of stubble burning, the Supreme Court in 2020 instructed the Delhi government and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to erect two smog towers in the city. The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) got on board, by submitting a proposal to the CPCB. The smog towers under testing mode were to be installed at Anand Vihar and Connaught Place by April 2020 but due to the subsequent lockdowns, the deadline was flouted. Finally, two smog towers came up in 2021.
It was claimed that the towers can purify the air in a one-km radius around the structure, at a rate of around 1,000 cubic meters per second. Both towers, identical in shape and design, are functional since September 2021. So have the towers reduced pollution levels?
India decided to install smog towers following the example of China, but experts say China is implementing strong pollution control rules across sectors, which India hasn’t. Now after two years, it has been learnt that the smog tower at Connaught Place has been lying defunct for the past several months.
Reacting strongly to the development, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said that it’s clear that Rs 22.9 crore were splashed on this smog tower without any research on its utility and was a total waste of money by the Kejriwal government. He said that his party will soon request Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena to order an inquiry as to who is responsible for this wastage of public money.
Punjab & Haryana generate 30 mn tonnes of paddy straw
What is different this winter and giving hope to affected residents across the region is that instead of the annual inter-state political blame game, the Aam Aadmi Party-led governments, both in the states of Punjab and Delhi, can offer a coordinated solution to effectively tackle this problem. Punjab and Haryana alone generate 30 million tonnes of paddy straw every year, of which only a small fraction is used. Stubble contributes to 15 per cent of city’s total air pollution
Various stages of GRAP, notified in 2017, kick in during winter
A complete halt on construction and demolition work except for essential government projects, mining, and stone crushing is also enforced. GRAP is a set of steps implemented to prevent deterioration of air quality in the Delhi-NCR region. The plan was approved by the Supreme Court in 2016 and notified in 2017. GRAP categorises actions into four stages: Stage I - ‘Poor’ (AQI 201-300), Stage II - ‘Very Poor’ (AQI 301-400), Stage III - ‘Severe’ (AQI 401-450), and Stage IV - ‘Severe Plus’ (AQI > 450)
