Dangerous AQI levels, devious environmentalists, and self-serving politicians

As every year, the alarmingly high air quality index (AQI) continues to torment people in Delhi-NCR. The stubbornness of air pollution in winters is the consequence of two causes: wrong, misleading diagnosis; and incompetence and worse of the authorities at all levels.

A section of environmentalists has succeeded in peddling the myth that vehicular emissions are the main and biggest factor contributing to the toxicity of the air. Truth is the collateral damage, for the myth diverts everyone’s attention from the much bigger factors causing pollution: biomass burning in winter and dust.

This is not a new revelation that will shock readers. Ten years ago, IIT-Kanpur carried out a study which showed that a big contributor to Delhi’s air pollution was road dust, accounting for about 35 per cent of tiny particles known as PM2.5 in the air, followed by vehicles.

In September 2023, another study by IIT Kanpur, IIT Delhi, TERI New Delhi, and Airshed Kanpur for the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, also reached a similar conclusion: “The real-time source apportionment of PM2.5, results show secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA), which are mostly expected travel from far distances, contribution to be the highest. The average of winter season’s source apportionment shows SIA (32 per cent) and biomass burning (24 per cent; within and outside Delhi) contribute the most followed by vehicles at 17 per cent. On certain contribution of SIA, biomass burning, and vehicles can contribute up to, 60, 50 and 40 per cent and others can exceed 35 per cent.”

Earlier the same year, another study, led by IIT-Kanpur, was done by 19 scholars and experts from the Physical Research Laboratory, IIT Delhi, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), Switzerland, and University Helsinki, Finland. Researchers Suneeti Mishra and Sachchida Nand Tripathi, both from the Department of Civil Engineering, IIT-Kanpur, co-authored the paper.

The reputed journal Nature Geoscience published it. In it, the scholars “observe[d] intense and frequent nocturnal particle growth events during haze development in Delhi from measurements of aerosols and gases during January-February at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi… We estimate that this process is responsible for 70 per cent of the total particle-number concentration during haze”.

Further, “the condensation of primary organic vapours from biomass burning is the leading cause of the observed growth.” It added “As uncontrolled biomass burning for residential heating and cooking is rife in the Indo-Gangetic plain, we expect this growth mechanism to be a source of ultrafine particles, affecting the health of 5 per cent of the world’s population and impacting the regional climate.”

In other words, there is a mountain of evidence to prove that factors other than vehicular emissions are responsible for the spike in AQI, especially in winter. Yet, our policy and decision makers come up with solutions that mainly target vehicular emissions—from the ridiculous scheme of odd-even (implemented by the Arvind Kejriwal government) and strict controls on vehicles in the national capital to the promotion of electric vehicles (EVs). Wrong diagnosis invariably results in ineffective treatment.

Inability to correctly diagnose a problem is due to the apathy and incompetence of our political masters. At a time when people in Delhi-NCR were gasping for breath, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders were waxing eloquent over Vande Mataram.

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi sought a discussion on air pollution in major cities of the country in the Lok Sabha. The government agreed to it, but the debate never happened, because politicians on both sides found it more expedient to quarrel over the politically ‘emotive’ issue of the G Ram G Bill, which was later passed.

It’s not that a discussion in Parliament would have solved the problem that has been the bane of people living in Delhi-NCR, indeed in entire northern India. But it could have thrown up some good suggestions and brought the focus of the administration to the severe air situation. Our politicians, however, put their petty agendas above the health of millions of people.

They do it all the time, leading to systemic entropy. So, nobody does anything meaningful. According to a study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), the sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions of 12 coal-based thermal power plants located in a 300-km radius of Delhi can be reduced by as much as 67 per cent if these facilities install flue gas desulfurization (FGD) technology. In fact, earlier this year, the government eased sulphur emission rules for most coal-fired power plants to cut electricity costs by 25-30 paise per unit. Cheaper power is privileged over public health.

In October, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) found that the Noida authority in Uttar Pradesh did not fully utilise the funds allocated under the National Clean Air Programme.

Many other instances also show systemic entropy.

Meanwhile, crores of people suffer—many of them grievously—as devious green activists spread disinformation and politicians play their petty games.

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