NEW DELHI: Despite years of policy interventions, technological innovations and judicial directives, Delhi’s air pollution crisis remains dire, posing severe health risks to the city residents and an enormous economic burden on them.
Recent data underscores the severity of the situation. An Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) report by the University of Chicago reveals that Delhiites may lose up to 11.9 years of life expectancy because of prolonged exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels far exceeding the World Health Organization’s recommended limits.
The health ramifications are profound.
A survey conducted in November last year indicated that 75% of families in Delhi-NCR have at least one member suffering from pollution-related ailments, such as persistent cough, asthma or headache. Children, the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions are particularly vulnerable.
Medical professionals report a 20–25% increase in respiratory cases after Diwali, correlating with pollution peaks during the festival season.
Beyond health, the economic toll is staggering. Delhi’s air pollution is estimated to cost the city approximately Rs 10,000 crore annually in healthcare expenses and lost productivity.
The tourism sector suffers losses of around a staggering Rs 1,200 crore, while agricultural yields decline as a result of pollutant deposition, leading to further economic setbacks.
Over the past decade, both the Central and state governments have taken a series of measures to reverse this trend. But their efforts have yielded mixed results.
Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), says that a distinction needs to be made between emergency measures and long-term ones.
“The purpose of emergency measures like the GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) and tools like smog guns and towers is to ensure that dust from construction activities and emissions from vehicles do not add to the excessive smog due to climatic factors. These do not help in the long term,” she explains.
However, Delhi has taken a series of long-term measures to address the sources of pollution as well. Firstly, the state government has banned overage vehicles, i.e. diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol ones over the age of 15. Trucks from neighbouring states are also banned from entering the Capital.
In addition, all public and commercial transportation in the city has been converted to CNG (Compressed Natural Gas), a cleaner alternative to petrol and diesel. The city is also adopting more electric vehicles. As a matter of fact, as many as 12% of all registered vehicles in Delhi are electric. This is the highest in the country and double the national average of 6%.
Finally, industrial units have replaced traditional fuels like coal with cleaner ones like natural gas. Coal-based power plants have also been shut down.
According to Roychowdhury, no other city in the country has enacted such drastic measures. As a result of these policies, long-term pollution levels have declined in the last few years. “However, pollution levels need to decline by another 60% if we are to meet clean air standards. To address these, a series of gaps in policy and implementation needs to be addressed immediately,” she says.
City authorities need to control the number of private vehicles, which has increased drastically over the years. Upgrading public transportation and improving infrastructure, such as cycling tracks and footpaths, can help reduce this. The government also needs to increase the capacity for solid waste disposal, as open-air burning of waste remains rampant.
Although industrial units located in legal areas have switched to cleaner fuels, those operating illegally continue to use polluting fuels like coal. Energy poverty also remains a major concern, with the poor unable to access cleaner fuels and still relying heavily on fuels like biomass for their daily needs.
Finally, the larger area around the city needs to adopt similar measures. “A city cannot remain clean on its own. Currently, 50–70% of the city’s pollution originates from outside its boundaries. The entire region needs to take collective action to address this,” Roychowdhury stresses.
At the same time, activists say that the implementation of many government steps remains as patchy as ever. “Forget about complaints registered on official portals that are never even heard, much less acted upon,” expresses Bhavreen Kandhari, founder of Warrior Moms, a coalition of women fighting for their children’s right to breathe clean air.
In a recent hearing, a Supreme Court bench noted the dire shortage of staff at the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). Only 83 of the 204 sanctioned posts in the DPCC had been filled, rendering the body “virtually defunct”. “Making rules is easy. But we need more boots on the ground to implement them. We need trained people with advanced equipment,” Kandhari emphasises.
Delhi’s fight to breathe clean air continues
Over the past decade, both the Central and state governments have taken a series of measures to address the issue. But their efforts have yielded mixed results. Many of the long-term measures are aimed at addressing the sources of pollution. The state government has banned overage vehicles, i.e. diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol ones over 15. Trucks from neighbouring states are also banned.