India's Capital City Chokes on Toxic Air Amid Politics

Strategic Insights -

The air quality in New Delhi ranks among the worst in the world, and experts attribute the problem to a mix of vehicle emissions, construction, demolition, heavy industry, and seasonal events like Diwali, which see the burning of crop waste and fireworks. The city's unique geography, with mountains and plateaus surrounding it, traps pollutants, unlike other major Indian cities like Kolkata and Mumbai, which are flanked by the sea. Despite a ban on Diwali firecrackers, a modified version of the ban was introduced this year, allowing the use of "green" firecrackers that produce fewer pollution particles.

Key Takeaways:

  • New Delhi's air quality is among the worst in the world, with the air quality index soaring past 350 on Monday, making it difficult for residents to breathe.
  • The sources of pollution in New Delhi are well known: vehicles, construction, demolition, heavy industry, and seasonal events like Diwali, which see the burning of crop waste and fireworks.
  • Stubble burning, a farming practice that involves setting fire to crop residue after harvesting, contributes less than 21 percent to the overall concentration of particulates in New Delhi.
  • The Commission for Air Quality Management, which monitors and manages air quality in New Delhi and adjoining areas, has suggested a road map for using clean fuels and electric mobility, as well as for controlling municipal solid-waste burning and crop-residue burning.
  • The efficient execution of the agency's recommendations is hindered by a lack of personnel to enforce them and a lack of coordination among the implementing agencies.
  • The lax enforcement of the firecracker ban is a case in point, with only 377 enforcement teams spread across a city of 20 million people.
  • The lack of personnel also affects other pollution control efforts, such as auditing the more than 900 centers in New Delhi that grant certificates to vehicles after checking them for emission levels.
  • Indian politics gets in the way of addressing the air quality issue, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Aam Aadmi Party blaming each other for the city's poor air quality.
  • Persuading farmers not to practice stubble burning will require subsidies for mechanized alternatives, but this faces resistance from the BJP, which has not allocated enough funds.
  • Reducing pollution from cars faces a larger hurdle: public transport, as New Delhi has only 45 buses per 100,000 people, about half those of London.

Statistics:

  • The concentration of the smallest pollutants in New Delhi has been reduced in recent years by about 7 percent, but this is a small fraction of what's required to achieve a meaningful improvement in air quality.
  • The city needs another 60 percent reduction to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
  • Only 1 person audits the more than 900 centers in New Delhi that grant certificates to vehicles after checking them for emission levels.
  • New Delhi has 45 buses per 100,000 people, about half those of London.
  • The air quality index in New Delhi soared past 350 on Monday, making it difficult for residents to breathe.

Sources:

  • The New York Times (India office)
  • Commission for Air Quality Management
  • Center for Science and Environment
  • Aam Aadmi Party
  • Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
  • Parliament of India
  • Supreme Court of India
  • Reuters