As winter returns to Delhi, so too does its annual air pollution crisis variation on the same theme with some nice upgrades to a Winter Action Plan this time, including drone monitoring and interdepartmental task forces. Still, the city’s efforts are marked by late action and short-term thinking. In contrast, the plan does not tie these band-aid solutions-the fix to immediate problems like the burning of stubble in adjoining states anything like a balanced, 12-month approach a city needs given its chronic baseline levels of pollution.
| GS Paper | GS Paper III |
| Topics for UPSC Prelims | Air pollution crisis, Commission for Air Quality Management, Electric vehicles, Central Pollution Control Board, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, FAME-II, SATAT. National Air Quality Index, Graded Response Action Plan. |
| Topics for UPSC Mains | Issue of Air Pollution in India, Key Steps Taken by the Government for Air Quality Improvement |
This editorial is based on “Delhi’s Winter Action Plan for pollution appears unconvincing” which was published in The Hindu on 07/05/2024. The article highlights the recurring air pollution crisis in Delhi and emphasizes the need for a comprehensive, year-round strategy rather than short-term fixes.
Understanding the topic of air pollution is crucial for UPSC aspirants as it aligns with topics in GS Paper 2 and GS Paper 3, including environmental pollution and government policies. Knowledge of this issue aids in answering questions related to environmental degradation, public health, and policy interventions.
Seasonal stubble burning, once again, seems to have forced Delhi to face its recurrent air pollution crisis, and this has raised once again the inadequacies in India’s air quality management strategies. It will be an important topic for UPSC aspirants as it ties into GS Paper 3 (Environmental Pollution & Degradation) and GS Paper 2 (Government Policies & Interventions), which had already repeated some questions relating to the effectiveness of a policy vis-à-vis air quality indices in various questions earlier as well.
As winter approaches, Delhi once more lapses into the perennial grasp of a crisis – one of air pollution. The statements made for the Winter Action Plan sound good but usually don’t work in reality. From drone monitoring and interdepartmental task forces to controlling pollution, it is all more a knee-jerk response to quick fixes rather than a comprehensive strategy for all seasons. It perceptibly fails to address the consistent baseline pollution in the city, which requires stronger, long-term measures.
The National Clean Air Programme was launched back in 2019 with an ambition to decrease particulate matter concentrations by 20-30% by 2024 in 122 cities. As of this year, 2023, till now 95 cities have experienced a certain degree of reduction in PM10 concentration levels, but many are still to reach the goals. The failure of such proper implementation of pollution control measures depicts difficulties in reducing pollution related with the air across India.
Stubble burning in northern India remains an important source of seasonal peaks in air pollution rates, especially in Delhi. Despite alternative provisions, Punjab was still able to report more than 30,000 cases of stubble burning for the year 2022. Economic restrictions and a lack of feasible solutions continue to fuel this activity, and hence, governments should create well-rounded policies that accommodate farmers while reducing pollution.
Rapid urbanization and building activities exacerbate air pollution in Indian cities. In most Indian cities, particulate matter emissions from construction activities have been significant. Inadequate dust management practices exacerbate air quality. As cities expand, unchecked growth and poor regulatory enforcement at construction sites lead to a deterioration in air quality and call for stringent dust management regulations.
Indian cities still face the problem of air pollution from the burgeoning number of vehicles. Electric vehicles currently represent a very small percentage of the overall number of vehicles and have no quick solution to result from efforts so far made toward cleaner fuels. In FY23, India’s automobile production reached 25.9 million per year; hence, it calls for urgent answers regarding clean transportation solutions.
Industrial emissions account for a significant portion of air pollution. In this regard, India has only 5 percent of its coal-fired power plants having air pollution control equipment to reduce the emission of sulfur dioxide. The Central Pollution Control Board categorized 43 industrial clusters as Critically Polluted Areas. The repetition of relaxation in norms and weak measures to enforce norms add to the complexity of achieving the dialectics between growth and an environment-friendly economy.
The main problems concerning indoor air pollution are grossly neglected in India. According to the report of the World Health Organization for 2023, indoor air pollution alone accounts for approximately 6.7 million premature deaths annually worldwide, and India is one of the worst-affected countries. Though schemes like Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana have been undertaken, people in many houses are still using solid fuels for cooking purposes, thereby being further subjected to deadly pollutants.
Further, climate change aggravates air quality issues and creates a vicious circle. As reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2023, the report says that warming and alterations in South Asian weather may exacerbate episodes of air pollution in terms of both frequency and magnitude. Unseasonal rain conditions in North India for many days resulted in stagnant air leading to the accumulation of pollutants in October 2023.
The government of India has undertaken several measures and policies directed toward the development of quality air. These policies look to retard the sources of pollution mainly contributed through vehicular exhaust, industrial works, and agricultural processes.
Launched in January 2019, the NCAP aims for cuts of 40% in PM10 values in 131 cities by 2025-26. Grievance redressal mechanisms and prompt emergency response systems have improved in 88 cities since FY 2022-23. However, to achieve the ambitious reduction target set under its flagship scheme, greater overarching efforts are needed.
The government has rolled out BS-VI fuel standards all over the country and the introduction of BS VI-compliant vehicles since April 2020. The schemes of FAME-II are promoting electric vehicles, while SATAT is supporting the production of biogas. New expressways and highways help to divert the non-destined traffic from major cities and lower vehicular emissions very significantly.
The Government has put in place the new standards for SO2 and NOx Emissions from the Thermal Power Plants. In NCR States, Pet Coke and furnace oil usage has been prohibited, and industrial units have begun shifting over to cleaner fuels such as PNG or biomass. In all high-polluting industries, OCEMS is mandatory to achieve improved performance in terms of emission standards.
Subsidy is also provided to crop residue management equipment to discourage the burning of stubble in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Financial aid has been provided for pelletization as well as torrefaction plants to utilize the paddy straw. The CPCB monitors while CAQM enforces to prevent instances of stubble burning.
The National Air Quality Index was established in 2015, with over 1,400 monitors spread across the country. Bulletins disseminate data and air quality forecasting is particularly available for Delhi-NCR. There’s real-time tracking of air quality data and hotspots in a central control room.
Guidelines in C&D waste management have been issued, and anti-smog guns are deployed at large construction sites. MSW is being managed with measures of bioremediation of legacy waste and preventing landfill site fires.
To address this issue, the CPCB Graded Response Action Plan has introduced AQI categories-based air pollution control measures. The updated versions of GRAP cover the use of measures such as restriction of the operation of DG set, shifting of industries to cleaner fuels, and implementation of dust control measures. All these policies assist the NCR region in reducing air pollution levels.
Several technology-based initiatives are trying to fight air pollution, in which innovative solutions provide technological answers to old problems. Such initiatives take the advantages of updated technology in the best possible way.
30 buses were fitted with Pariyayantra Filtration units on the top of the buses. These passive filters trap dust suspended from nature, thus giving relief from dust pollution due to vehicular movement. Every unit holds filtration equivalent to six room air filters and doesn’t consume a single watt.
WAYU units are being installed at traffic junctions in Delhi to mitigate vehicular emissions. It can be a source-specific air purifier that can help control pollution at high-traffic areas. Its efficacy would suggest higher levels of utilization potential.
The ionization technologies neutralize the pollutants through the process of ionization. Thus, the technologies are likely to show an improvement in the quality of air in specific regions. It is a novel approach to the purification of the ambient environment, mainly in densely populated urban areas. Pilot projects can be initiated to get a footing for further widespread applications.
Large-scale installation sites Smog towers serve as air-purifying installations designed to reduce particulate matter and other pollutants in the air over a larger area. The towers, devised in response to the problems caused by urbanization – air pollution present a very novel approach to the problem, but long-term efficacy and maintenance also need evaluation.
Reduction in emissions from in-use vehicles is the intent of a pilot project on retrofitting older vehicles, including those complying with BS III, with emission control devices. It shall bring the environmental cost of older vehicles down and add value to the task of making travel cleaner.
To address this challenge effectively, a holistic and sustainable approach will be needed for India to deal with air pollution. Such measures could focus on major polluting sectors, opening up pathways to cleaner technologies and practices.
Industrial emissions need stringent norms. Installation of Flue Gas Desulfurization units in all coal-based power plants would reduce SO2 emissions to a large extent. Nationwide schemes of emissions trading, coupled with real-time emission monitoring systems, would ensure better compliance and reduce industrial pollution.
Air quality, for one, will start improving much faster if scaling up the uptake of renewable energy becomes more agile. India’s announced intent to scale up 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based capacity by 2030. It is in the right direction and surely will be pursued.
Moreover, such urban green covers can also be increased by creating vertical forests to enhance the air quality. Not only that, but mini-forests, along with techniques like Miyawaki, might boost the capacity for air purification in cities in cooperation with mandatory green building codes.
Combating vehicular emission requires that there be priority establishment of sustainable urban mobility. It can be achieved through different means including the establishing public transport infrastructure, implementing congestion pricing, or enhancing other non-motorized transport options to combat use of private vehicles. Electric vehicle policies in cities have been very successful and can be used as a model for nationwide implementation.
A comprehensive, real-time monitoring network needs to be instituted. With low-cost sensor networks integrated with satellite data and AI-powered forecasting models, this could provide for accurate, localized air quality information.
The stubble burning issue is multifaceted. Promotion in terms of agricultural mechanization for crop residue management, innovative solutions through bio-decomposers and palletization, and promotion of crop diversification mitigate agricultural emissions. Implementing a reward system for sustainable practice will provide the economic incentive to the farmers.
The critical emitting sectors need to be targeted through focused reduction strategies. Stringent control over dust in the construction sector. And also incentivizing more environmentally friendly technologies. The Vehicle Scrappage Policy can motivate old vehicle scrapping.
| Political: India’s government has launched initiatives like the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to curb pollution. However, political challenges arise due to a lack of coordination between states, slow implementation, and limited enforcement of pollution control laws. The central and state governments need to collaborate more effectively to handle cross-border pollution sources like stubble burning. Economic: Air pollution costs India around 1.4% of its GDP due to health impacts and productivity loss. The transition to cleaner energy and stricter industrial norms will require significant financial investments. Policies promoting renewable energy, subsidies for crop residue management, and retrofitting of emission control devices in industries and vehicles entail high costs, but they are necessary for long-term economic sustainability. Social: Air pollution disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, and those living in poverty. Over 53% of Indian households still use solid fuels, contributing to indoor air pollution. Awareness campaigns are critical to encourage the adoption of cleaner cooking fuels, sustainable agricultural practices, and eco-friendly construction methods to improve both indoor and outdoor air quality. Technological: India is adopting technology-driven solutions, such as smog towers, ionization technology, and AI-powered air quality monitoring systems, to mitigate pollution. Programs promoting electric vehicles and renewable energy are in place, but adoption is slow. Investment in clean energy, retrofitting old vehicles, and using advanced air purification technologies will help tackle urban air pollution. Environmental: Stubble burning, vehicle emissions, and industrial pollution contribute significantly to poor air quality, especially during the winter months in northern India. Climate change is exacerbating air quality issues by changing weather patterns and intensifying pollution episodes. Sustainable agricultural practices, green infrastructure, and clean energy are essential to improving air quality and addressing environmental degradation. Legal: India has stringent environmental regulations, such as the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981. However, enforcement is often weak, and many industries fail to comply. Less than 5% of coal-fired power plants have installed pollution control devices, highlighting regulatory gaps. Stronger legal enforcement and penalties for non-compliance are needed to ensure industries and urban projects adhere to air quality standards. |
To effectively respond to the crisis of air pollution in India, which recurs regularly, something structural is needed, integrated. Provided in tandem would need to be long-term, science-principle-based solutions along with strict enforcement of emission norms and incentives for sustainable practices in all industries, transport, and agriculture. The critical drive must come from cleaner energy and urban green infrastructure. Only pro-active and holistic action will ensure India saves its public health and the future generations improve their air quality.
| UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs) Mains Q. Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata are the three megacities of the country, but the air pollution is a much more serious problem in Delhi as compared to the other two. Why is this so? (UPSC GS Paper-III, 2015) Q. Discuss the challenges in India’s air quality management, considering the effectiveness of existing policies like NCAP and GRAP. Suggest innovative and long-term solutions for sustainable air quality improvement in Indian cities. |
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