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Slow to get off the mark, authorities in Delhi are falling behind in pollution fight

Under stage-2 and stage-3 of GRAP, the plan calls for intensifying public transport services to take private vehicles off the roads. Even as the air quality edges closer to the ‘severe’ category in Delhi and measures under stage-3 or the ‘severe’ category of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) have been invoked, measures to control emissions from the transport sector, a large pollution source within the city, have not yet been implemented. Under stage-2 and stage-3 of GRAP, the plan calls for intensifying public transport services to take private vehicles off the roads. A measure to be implemented under stage-2 of the GRAP, which was invoked on October 19, was augmenting CNG or electric bus and Metro services “by procuring additional fleet and increasing the frequency of service”. Stage-2 also lists enhancing parking fees as a measure to discourage use of private vehicles. Stage-3 of GRAP, invoked on October 29, also mentions further intensification of public transport services and differential rates to encourage off-peak travel. It also suggests an additional action that State governments can consider — restrictions on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four wheelers. None of these transport-related measures are in place yet, 12 days after GRAP stage-2 and two days after stage-3 were invoked by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). Asked about intensifying Metro services, a statement issued by Anuj Dayal, Principal Executive Director, Corporate Communications, DMRC, said: “Delhi metro will run 37 additional train trips on weekdays across its network. This has been planned to intensify the use of public transport among passengers across Delhi-NCR. Usually, more than 4,000 trips are performed by Delhi metro trains every day.” Asked when the additional trains would begin to ply, an official said they would begin soon. A spokesperson for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said that parking fees have not yet been enhanced by the MCD. “The committee which is to take a decision in this regard is yet to meet. Maybe in a day or two, they will come up with a decision,” the spokesperson said. MCD polls in the capital are scheduled for December. On intensifying public transport services, Transport Commissioner Ashish Kundra, said, “As of now, it is to augment public transport. We had issued a public notice about a week ago inviting transporters to register their buses with DTC. About 300-odd buses have already registered which we’ll ramp up. They are not plying yet. We’ll have to take a composite view on how many to hire based on last years’ experience, and at what rates to hire. It will also require the approval of the competent authority, which is the Cabinet in this case. For now, we are doing the groundwork.” Last year, the Transport Department had issued a notice for up to 1,000 additional buses, and the number that was in operation was around 500 to 700. Kundra added: “Restrictions on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles are for when it (AQI) reaches the ‘severe’ category. It is ‘very poor’ right now and the prediction for the next three days is also ‘very poor’. We have to look at various aspects in the sense of how to implement it. Implementation is also an issue. We’ll have to work out a strategy on how to do it, but as of now, that stage has not arrived.” A meeting will be held soon with DMRC and DTC on augmenting public transport services, Kundra said. ufran Beig, founder project director, SAFAR, said, “Out of local sources, transport emissions are the single largest source of PM 2.5, around 40% of annual average PM 2.5 levels, as per 2018 data from the SAFAR emissions inventory. So far, a lot of effort has been made to deal with dust. Control measures we are hearing of are for dust from construction activity, sprinkling of water. This will control PM 10, which is less dangerous compared to PM 2.5 When PM 2.5 concentration is in the ‘very poor’ or ‘severe’ category, which should target the more lethal pollutant based on its emission contribution… which is first the transport sector.” Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said transport-related measures are one of the “weakest points” while implementing GRAP in the city. “This shows how inadequate public transport systems, infrastructure for walking and cycling, and last-mile connectivity are in the city. Because of that infrastructure deficiency, they can’t enforce transport-related measures. We don’t have any measures to restrain use of personal vehicles. Without touching transport and vehicles, it will be tough to arrest the trend (of pollution),” she said.

Think tank to govt: Bring warning labels for processed food consumed by kids

The recommendations have been endorsed by 24 organisations and institutions, including the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). NEW DELHI: The Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi), a national think-tank on nutrition consisting of independent medical experts, paediatricians and nutritionists, has urged the government to bring warning labels on all ultra-processed foods (UPFs) consumed by children to check rising obesity and non-communicable diseases. Advertisement Ads by One of the critical recommendations of NAPi is that the warning labels should have 'symbols' or ‘high in’ or ‘excess of’ nutrient of concern warnings and should be made mandatory in the draft regulation of Labelling and Display and not the Health Star rating. Based on scientific evidence that increased consumption of UPFs is associated with high risks of non-communicable diseases, like diabetes, heart problems and cancer, the experts said marketing unhealthy foods and drinks targeting children should be immediately stopped through legislation. “Government should lead a comprehensive public campaign through health systems, on which foods are safe to eat and which are not,” the recommendations said. They have suggested that their recommendations should be included in the Food and Safety Standards (Labelling and Display) Amendments Regulations 2022 relating to Front of Pack Nutritional Labelling (FOPNL) and high fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS). The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is working towards FOPL and the NITI Aayog is considering policy measures in this regard, including introducing higher taxation and restriction on marketing of unhealthy foods to reduce the consumption of unhealthy foods, the joint statement added. The think-tank also suggested that once the notification on FOPL on unhealthy food/drink is finalised, a maximum of 12 to 18 months may be given to the food industry to comply with. The recommendations have been endorsed by 24 organisations and institutions, including the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) and Diabetes India. Highlighting that India is facing a public health crisis of rising obesity, diabetes, cancers, hypertension, cardiac diseases, renal disease and mental health, NAPi said it is estimated that nearly 5.8 million people die from NCDs every year out of total deaths of about nine million, contributing to about 60 percent of annual deaths. Citing an analysis, they said that high consumption of UPF increased death risk by 29 percent. “The consumption of unhealthy food and drink products is rapidly rising in India. These industrially processed packaged food products are usually high in sugar, salt, or saturated fats, which are detrimental to health,” the joint statement said. “11 Artificial sweeteners (particularly aspartame and acesulfame-K), commonly used in several food products, are linked to an increased cancer risk,” they added. FOPL is a simple, inexpensive, practical and effective tool to inform consumers about the public health implications of the food they purchase. Currently in use are nutrient warning labels, colour-coded traffic lights, Nutri-Score, Health Star Ratings (HSR), and Guidelines for Daily Allowance (GDA). Studies suggest that consumers spend as little as ten seconds in selecting food items; therefore, a label that would quickly and effectively lead to the ability of the consumer to identify unhealthy products would be the need of the hour, they added. Several countries in Latin America, such as Chile, Mexico, Uruguay, Brazil, Peru and Israel, have accepted the use of warning labels as FOPL, demonstrating a change in consumption and outcomes, NAPI said, adding that government should lead a comprehensive public campaign through health systems, on which foods are safe to eat and which are not. Snippets Nearly 5.8 million people die from Non Communicable Diseases every year out of total deaths of about nine million, contributing to about 60 percent of annual deaths. High consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) increased death risk by 29 per cent Include Front-of-Pack Warning Labels on such food products Introduce warning labels ‘in ‘symbols’ or as ‘high in’ or ‘excess of’ Marketing unhealthy foods and drinks targeting children should be immediately stopped through legislation Many countries have introduced Front of Pack Nutritional Labelling FOPL is a simple, inexpensive, practical and effective tool to inform consumers about public health implications of the food they buy Studies suggest consumers spend as little as ten seconds to select food items NCDs can be curtailed by reducing the consumption of unhealthy food products and drinks

The caste of wheels

The road hierarchy prioritises cars, followed by two-wheelers, and bicycles and pedestrians are pushed to the brink, literally A few summers ago, my brother met with an accident. He was thrown off the road by a speeding car while going to work. Though he got away with only a few bruises, it rattled us all quite a bit. Being a journalist, he would regularly cycle back home after the graveyard shift on a road that would turn into a highway by night with ominous-looking trucks zooming past. “I love cycling. This is something I have been doing since childhood, but the whole pleasure is taken away by the stress of reaching home safely. The lack of dedicated cycling tracks makes it scary to cycle on city roads,” he rues. The problem is the attitude of road users towards cyclists. They act as if they are doing cyclists a favour by letting them exist in the same space as their cars. We need a strong government policy to encourage people to cycle short distances,” says Sunita Narian, DG, Centre for Science and Environment. She herself got a taste of the apathy when she had to be hospitalised after being hit by a car while cycling on a Delhi road. A caste system of sorts seems to play out on the roads. The road hierarchy prioritises cars, followed by two-wheelers, and bicycles and pedestrians are pushed to the brink, literally.

दिल्ली सरकार के बड़े ऐलान के बाद 10 महीनों में लाखों ने कराए PUC सर्टिफिकेट रिन्यू

दिल्ली सरकार ने हाल ही में बड़ा ऐलान कर बिना PUC सर्टिफिकेट के पेट्रोल देने से माना कर दिया था। इसी के चलते यहां अब बड़े स्तर पर लोगों ने अपने PUC सर्टिफिकेट रिन्यू करवाए। दिवाली के बाद से ही दिल्ली में एयर पॉल्यूशन काफी ज्यादा बढ़ गया है। इतना ही नहीं दिल्ली की वायु गुणवत्ता (Air Quality) 'बहुत गंभीर' श्रेणी में चली गई है। ऐसे में अब तो दिल्लीवासियों के लिए दिल्ली की हवा जहर जैसी साबित हो रही है। हालांकि, यहां वायु गंभीर श्रेणी में पहुंचने के चलते कई तरह की सख्ती बढ़ा दी गई है। इसी के तहत दिल्ली सरकार ने हाल ही में बड़ा ऐलान कर बिना PUC सर्टिफिकेट के पेट्रोल देने से माना कर दिया था। इसी के चलते यहां अब बड़े स्तर पर लोगों ने अपने PUC सर्टिफिकेट रिन्यू करवाए। बड़े स्तर पर लोगों ने रिन्यू करवाए PUC सर्टिफिकेट : दरअसल, वैसे तो दिल्‍ली में फैलने वाला पॉल्यूशन (Delhi Pollution) तो नाम से ही जाना जाता है। कभी-कभी तो मानों यहां की हवा जैसे लोगों के लिए जहर सी साबित होने लगती है। ऐसे ही हालात यहां एक बार फिर बन गए हैं। ऐसे में दिल्ली की केजरीवाल सरकार ने बड़ा फैसला लेते हुए दिल्ली में अब वाहन चालकों के पास वैध प्रदूषण नियंत्रण (PUC) सर्टिफिकेट को जरूरी कर दिया है। इसके अलावा केजरीवाल सरकार ने बिना PUC सर्टिफिकेट के पेट्रोल पंप से फ्यूल (ईंधन) नहीं देने का भी ऐलान किया था। इसी का नतीजा है कि, बीते 10 महीनों में, दिल्ली में लगभग 40 लाख वाहन मालिकों ने अपना PUC सर्टिफिकेट रिन्यू करवा लिया है। इस मामले में जानकारी परिवहन विभाग के आंकड़ों के द्वारा सामने आई है। हालांकि, अब तो सरकार यह आदेश वापस भी ले चुकी है। बताते चलें, दिल्ली सरकार ने 12 अक्टूबर को आदेश जारी करते हुए कहा था कि, '25 अक्टूबर से वाहन मालिकों के लिए राजधानी के फिलिंग स्टेशन पर अपने वाहनों में ईंधन भरने के लिए वैध पीयूसी प्रमाणपत्र होना अनिवार्य होगा। हालांकि, इसके बाद शुक्रवार को फैसले को कैंसिल कर दिया गया था। इसके बाद भी परिवहन विभाग द्वारा जारी किए गए आंकड़ों से यह खुलासा हुआ है कि, 'अक्टूबर 2022 की 24 तारीख तक कुल 479,694 वाहन के मालिकों ने अपने वैध प्रदूषण नियंत्रण (PUC) सर्टिफिकेट रिन्यू करवाए। इस मामले में परिवहन मंत्री कैलाश गहलोत ने बताया है कि, 'सर्टिफिकेट रिन्यू कराने वालों का यह आंकड़ा सर्दी के मौसम के आंकड़े के बराबर है। हमने फिलिंग स्टेशनों में प्रवेश करने वाले वाहनों के पीयूसी प्रमाणपत्रों की जांच के लिए विभिन्न फिलिंग स्टेशनों के पास 120 टीमें तैनात की हैं। जिन वाहन मालिकों के पास वैध पीयूसी प्रमाणपत्र नहीं है उन्हें तुरंत इसे प्राप्त करने की सलाह दी जाती है। बिना पीयूसी सर्टिफिकेट वाले वाहनों का भी चालान किया जाता है। इसकी कार्रवाई जारी रहेगी और जिनके वाहनों के पास पीयूसी प्रमाणपत्र नहीं है, उन्हें तुरंत इसे लेने की सलाह दी जाती है।' कैलाश गहलोत, परिवहन मंत्री सरकार द्वारा जारी आंकड़े : बताते चलें, नवंबर 2021 में सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) के विश्लेषण में कहा गया था कि, दिल्ली में प्रदूषण फ़ैलाने वाले मुख्य स्रोतों में वाहनों का योगदान सबसे ज्यादा है। इसलिए सरकार ने यह आदेश दिए थे। वहीं, अब सरकार द्वारा जारी आंकड़ों में कहा गया है कि 'दिल्ली के 11 जिलों में 947 PUC केंद्र हैं और राजधानी में पंजीकृत 7.8 मिलियन से अधिक वाहनों में से 1,968,502 के पास वैध पीयूसी प्रमाणपत्र नहीं है। वैध पीयूसी प्रमाणपत्र के बिना चलने वाले वाहन पर मोटर वाहन अधिनियम की धारा 190 (2) के तहत मुकदमा चलाया जा सकता है, जिसके लिए तीन महीने तक की कैद या 10,000 रुपये तक का जुर्माना या दोनों हो सकता है।'

IN JUST NINE MONTHS IN 2022, INDIA WITNESSED SOME FORM OF DISASTER ALMOST EVERY DAY, SAYS CSE’S NEW REPORT ON EXTREME WEATHER

India recorded extreme weather events on 242 of the 273 days between January 1 and September 30, 2022. This means that more than 88 per cent of the time over these nine months, the country was witnessing an extreme weather event of some sort happening in one or more of its regions. This has emerged from a new assessment by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth magazine, released here today at an online launch event. The assessment provides a comprehensive overview of the state of extreme weather in India across a major part of the year. Along with this report, Down To Earth has also launched India’s Atlas on Weather Disasters, an online public interactive database on extreme weather events that would be updated every month. “What the country has witnessed so far in 2022 is the new abnormal in a warming world. There is a clear spike in frequency and intensity of extreme events that we are seeing,” said CSE director general Sunita Narain while releasing the report. “Our report provides season-wise, month-wise and region-wise analysis of extreme weather events and their associated loss and damage. It is an attempt to build an evidence base on the frequency and expanding geography of extreme weather events in India. This is extremely important as the data that is publicly available on this subject is fragmented and fails to provide the overall picture,” added Narain. What the report says A disaster almost every day: India has seen close to a disaster every day in the nine months of this year – from heat and cold waves, cyclones and lightning to heavy rains, floods and landslides. Loss and damage under-estimated: These disasters have claimed 2,755 lives, affected 1.8 million hectare of crop area, destroyed over 416,667 houses and killed close to 70,000 livestock. Says Rajit Sengupta, associate editor of Down To Earth and one of the writers of the report: “This estimation of loss and damage is probably an underestimate as data for each event – including losses of public property or crop loss -- has not been collated or estimated.” With an event every second day, Madhya Pradesh saw the highest number of days with extreme weather events, but Himachal Pradesh saw the highest number of human fatalities -- 359 deaths. Madhya Pradesh and Assam witnessed 301 human deaths each. Assam reported the highest number of damaged houses and animal deaths. Karnataka, which experienced an extreme weather event on 82 days, accounted for more than 50 per cent of the crop area affected in the country. Madhya Pradesh, as per official records, did not report any crop area damage. Sengupta says this could be due to “gaps in loss and damage reporting”. The central and north-western regions reported the highest number of days with extreme weather events at 198 and 195, respectively. In terms of human lives lost, central India topped the list with 887 deaths, followed by the east and northeast (783 deaths). Warmest, wettest, driest: In 2022, India recorded its seventh wettest January since 1901. This March was also the warmest ever and the third driest in 121 years. It was also the country’s third warmest April, 11th warmest August and 8th warmest September since 1901. Eastern and northeastern India saw its warmest and driest July in 121 years. The region also recorded its second warmest August and fourth warmest September in 2022. In terms of the ‘nature’ of the event, all types of extreme weather have been seen in the past nine months – lightening and storms were spread over 30 states and claimed 773 lives. Every day of the three months of monsoon – from June to August – indicate heavy to very heavy and extremely heavy rainfall in some parts of the country. This is why the flood devastation has not spared any region – in Assam, for instance, vast parts of the state were submerged leading to loss of lives, property and livelihoods. Heat waves claimed 45 lives, but what is not captured in the official data is the impact of the prolonged high temperatures on people’s well-being in north India – from farmers to construction workers -- and how they coped with the intense and searing heat. The good news is that fatalities because of cyclones were few – only two lives were lost according to available data from cyclones that destroyed 95,066 hectare in the country. Said Narain: “This is because of the amazing work done by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on cyclone forecasting so that there is adequate warning to governments. It is also because state governments – particularly those in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal -- have improved their systems of disaster management.” Definitions, sources and the assessment methodology The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines extreme weather events as those that are “rare at a particular place and time of year”. While India does not have an official definition, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its annual “Statement of Climate of India” reports, classifies lightning and thunderstorm, heavy to very and extremely heavy rainfall, landslide and floods, cold wave, heat wave, cyclones, snowfall, dust and sandstorms, squalls, hailstorms and gales as extreme weather events. The agency has defined each of these weather events under its website “Climate Hazards and Vulnerability Atlas of India”, launched in January 2022, and in its other publications. CSE’s India 2022: An Assessment of Extreme Weather Events report has sourced its data from two key Indian government sources – the IMD and the Disaster Management Division (DMD) of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. In addition, it has scanned media reports to track the events, particularly in the pre-monsoon period when official data is sketchy. The media reports have also provided further information on the extent of loss and damage. From IMD: The information on extreme weather events in the past 24 hours and forecasts and warnings are published by the IMD in its All India Weather Summary and Forecast bulletins and its daily press releases. On loss and damage due to extreme weather events, the IMD uses media reports and publishes the number of human deaths and livestock losses in its ‘Climate Summary for the Month’. From DMD: The department under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs issues ‘Situation report regarding flood/heavy rainfall in the country’ as and when the event occurs. From June 2022, the situation reports have provided the ‘Cumulative loss and damage data for the monsoon season’, which gives information on human deaths during this period because of drowning, lightning strikes, landslides etc, as well as data on damage to houses, crops and livestock. In the case of any discrepancy in the three sources – IMD, DMD and media reports -- the source with the highest reported number has been considered. Also, as DMD does not provide data on crop area affected for the pre-monsoon period, CSE/DTE has sourced it from media reports (which is also used by IMD for compiling its loss and damage data). Gaps in data: Says Kiran Pandey, programme director of CSE’s Environmental Resources unit and one of the writers of the report: “While a realistic estimate can be made about the number of days the country recorded extreme weather events from the IMD releases, major gaps remain when it comes to loss and damage assessment. DMD provides data as received by the states and this is mainly for the monsoon season. It does not all include extreme events, as defined by the IMD.” CSE researchers say that the data itself is not comprehensive. For instance, media reports suggest widespread crop loss in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat during the monsoon season (June-September), but the Centre’s cumulative loss and damage report for the season claims that there have been no losses in these states. The absence of a robust public database on extreme weather events in the country poses difficulties in the evaluation of disaster situations and its impacts. Says Narain: “It is clear that now, given the intensity and frequency of these events the country no longer needs to count just the disasters; it needs credible numbers on the losses and damages.” She adds: “This is what is the watermark of climate change. It is not about a single event but about the increased frequency of the events – that what we saw as the one in 100 years extreme event has now been compressed to become one in five years or even less. Worse, it is now all coming together – each month is breaking a new record. This, in turn, is breaking the backs of the poorest who are worst impacted and are fast losing their capacities to cope with these repeated and frequent events.” Narain explains that this is the reason why the “extreme weather report card” prepared by CSE and Down To Earth is important to understand. She says: “The report speaks of the need to do much for managing these extreme events – we have to move beyond management of the disaster to reducing risks and improving resilience. This is why we need more than words to improve the systems for flood management – deliberately building drainage and water recharge systems on the one hand and investing in green spaces and forests so that these sponges of water can be revitalised for the coming storms.” She adds: “This also speaks of the need to demand reparations for the damage from the countries that have contributed to the emissions in the atmosphere and are responsible for this damage. The models that explain the impacts of climate change are clear that extreme weather events will increase in frequency and intensity. This is what we are seeing today. This report card is not good news. But it needs to be read so that we understand the revenge of nature that we are witnessing today and also understand that it will get worse tomorrow if we do not combat climate change at the scale that is needed.”

India Saw Extreme Weather Event On Nearly 90% Days In 9 Months: Report

These disasters claimed 2,775 lives, affected 1.8 million hectares (ha) of crop area, destroyed over 4,16,667 houses and killed close to 70,000 livestock, stated the report. India recorded an extreme weather event on almost 90 per cent of the days in the first nine months of this year, with Himachal Pradesh logging the highest number of human deaths, according to a new report. These disasters claimed 2,775 lives, affected 1.8 million hectares (ha) of crop area, destroyed over 4,16,667 houses and killed close to 70,000 livestock, stated the report, 'Extreme Weather Report 2022', released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). This estimation of loss and damage is probably an underestimate as data for each event is not collated, nor are the losses of public property or crop loss calculated, the green think tank said. "India recorded extreme weather events on 241 of the 273 days from January 1 to September 30 this year. This means that close to 90 per cent of the first nine months of this year, India had an extreme weather event breaking in one or more parts of the country," the report read. At 140, Madhya Pradesh saw the highest number of days with extreme weather events and Himachal Pradesh logged the highest number of human deaths at 359. Madhya Pradesh and Assam saw 301 human deaths each. Delhi reported four days of extreme weather events with lightning and storms, and three human deaths due to them. The national capital also logged two days with heavy rain, 28 heatwave days and seven coldwave days. Assam reported the highest number of damaged houses and animal deaths. Karnataka, which experienced extreme weather events on 82 days during the first nine months, accounted for more than 50 per cent of the crop area affected in the country, the report said. Madhya Pradesh, according to official records, did not report any crop area damage. This could be due to gaps in loss and damage reporting. The central region reported the highest number of days with extreme weather events at 198, followed by the northwest at 195. In terms of human lives lost, the central region saw the highest number of deaths at 887, followed by the east and northeast region (783 deaths). In 2022, India recorded its seventh wettest January since 1901. This March was the warmest ever and the third driest in 121 years. It was also the country's third warmest April, eleventh warmest August and eighth warmest September since 1901. PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com Eastern and northeastern India saw their warmest and driest July in 121 years. The region also recorded its second warmest August and fourth warmest September in 2022.

4 million vehicles in Delhi renewed PUC certificates in 10 months: Report

An analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in November 2021 had said that among local sources of pollution in Delhi, vehicles are the biggest contributor to particulate pollution, with their real-time share touching more than 50% during the early phase of winter. Over the last 10 months, the owners of around 4 million vehicles in Delhi have renewed their pollution under control (PUC) certificates, according to transport department data. This number is significant as the Delhi government had on October 12 said that starting October 25, it would make it mandatory for vehicle owners to have a valid PUC certificate to refuel their vehicles at filling station in the Capital. The government, however, rescinded the announcement on Friday, following the apprehensions of filling station owners of law and order situations. An analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in November 2021 had said that among local sources of pollution in Delhi, vehicles are the biggest contributor to particulate pollution, with their real-time share touching more than 50% during the early phase of winter. According to the transport department data seen by HT, in this month till October 24, a total of 479,694 vehicles renewed their PUC certificate. Transport minister Kailash Gahlot said this figure is on par for the winter season, as at this time, the department’s enforcement against polluting vehicles is further intensified. We have deployed 120 enforcement teams near various filling stations to check PUC certificates of vehicles entering fuel stations. The vehicles without valid PUC certificates are advised to obtain PUC certificates immediately. Challans are also issued against vehicles without PUC certificates. The crackdown will continue and everyone whose vehicles do not have PUC certificates are advised to obtain one immediately,” said Gahlot. Delhi has 947 PUC centres across 11 districts, and of the more than 7.8 million vehicles registered in the Capital, 1,968,502 did not have valid PUC certificates as on October 10, government data stated. A vehicle plying without a valid PUC certificate is liable to be prosecuted under Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, which may lead to imprisonment of up to three months or a fine of up to ₹10,000, or both. A transport department official said pollution level test inspectors from the department conduct random checks at PUC centres to ensure that PUC centres are issuing accurate certificates. Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE’s executive director (research and advocacy), said, “Vehicles are among the top contributors to Delhi’s air quality. Therefore, in addition to meeting the mass emissions standards at the time of manufacturing of vehicles, stringent monitoring of emissions from vehicles on road is also necessary to ensure that vehicles are maintained well and do not deteriorate to emit more than they are designed to emit. At the same time, 100 per cent compliance with basic PUC norms also requires credible and properly conducted PUC tests.”

Delhi skies turn sepia as farm fire smoke shrouds Capital

Air quality in the next seven days could be worse as the fires peak during the first week of November. Last year, the contribution of stubble burning had touched 36% on November 5 and 48% on November 7, Safar data show. In 2020, the contribution of stubble burning touched a peak of 42% on November 5 Smoke from farm fires is fast becoming the dominant source of particulate matter pollution in Delhi, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (Safar), and air pollution is likely to worsen in the coming week as more fields are set on fire to clear crop residue ahead of the winter planting season.

Over 70% families impacted in Delhi-NCR as air quality deteriorates to 'severe' level, says survey

As air quality in Delhi-NCR deteriorates from 'poor' to 'severe', more people are being affected by the pollution and trying hard to cope with it. Air pollution in Delhi-NCR has assumed monstrous toxicity levels, thanks to stubble burning, smoke-belching vehicles, cracker burning and a host of other factors. The Air Quality Index (AQI) has turned severe (375-500) in many parts of Delhi-NCR and this is hitting people hard. A whopping 70% of people have one or more family members, or themselves, who are facing the impact of poor air quality. The elderly at home are most impacted along with those who have a medical condition, and of course, school-going kids, revealed a survey carried out by LocalCircles, a leading community social media platform, on Monday. Around 72% of families are forced to take one or more measures to cope with the air pollution. And 27% of Delhi-NCR families are likely to travel during the next three weeks for at least a few days to escape the toxic air, the survey added. Hardest hit The survey indicated that seven in 10 families (70%) already have someone having difficulties due to air pollution. Out of 9,123 respondents, 30% said "elderly parents/grandparents at home" were already impacted; in 10% of families, school-going children are feeling unwell; 20% of respondents are themselves impacted due to their health conditions; while another 10% indicated that they were not feeling well though they have no pre-existing medical conditions. “Air pollution hits people who are ailing from medical conditions the most. The short-term impact could be respiratory and cardiac problems, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and so on. The symptoms get aggravated in the vulnerable lot. The long-term impact could be metabolic diseases and cancer,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi. How do families plan to cope with the deteriorating air quality in the next three weeks? Around 21% will use air purifiers at home; 14% will increase consumption of immunity-boosting foods, while 9% will use anti-pollution masks. Around 14% indicated adopting all the three measures; 14% anti-pollution masks as well as taking immunity-boosting foods. Sadly, another 14% said they "do not plan to do anything as we can't afford all these" measures. "It must be noted that despite 2022 being the 8th consecutive year of toxic air quality, only 1 in 3 households have an air purifier and the majority will rely just on a mask or some immunity-boosting foods or both. And at the end of the day, these safety measures can only provide limited protection to the over 32 million population of Delhi-NCR," pointed out Sachin Taparia, the founder of LocalCircles. Escape route Families who have elderly or small children, try to get out of Delhi-NCR so that they don't inhale the toxic air for at least a few days. Around 27% of respondents indicated that they plan to get away from Delhi-NCR, the survey data showed. A total of 18% of the respondents and their family are planning to go out of Delhi-NCR for a week or a fortnight, while 9% are planning a getaway for a few days During the survey, it was found that a large number of people feel that the rise in pollution and poor air quality is a reflection of the collective failure of several arms of the government. Taparia said, "Despite Delhi and Punjab now being governed by the same political party (AAP), there have been no or limited efforts to stop stubble burning. Similarly, there is no coordinated effort by the central government to bring together all the state governments and other relevant agencies to address the root cause of pollution."

Chhath Pooja: The controversy around Delhi Jal Board and Yamuna’s toxic foam

A BJP MP alleged that the “defoamers” being sprayed are toxic in nature, while the DJB denied these claims. In the run-up to the Chhath Pooja festival celebrated from October 28 to 31, Delhi’s political parties made allegations and counter-claims regarding the quality of water in the Yamuna river. Last year too, images of devotees praying to the sun to mark the festival, while standing amid the toxic foam covering the river’s surface, had raised concerns and led to BJP criticising the Aam Aadmi Party government. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal hit back, asking the BJP to give an account of its 15 years in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. This year, West Delhi MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma clashed with a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) official over the use of “defoamers” to tackle the froth. On October 30, the official took a bath on the Yamuna banks using its water at Kalindi Kunj, after filing a complaint against BJP leaders. What was the issue with the toxic foam in Yamuna? The AAP hit out at Verma on October 28, after a video emerged of the MP speaking sternly with an official of the DJB who was in charge of spraying a “defoamer” in the river ahead of Chhath Puja. In the video shared by DJB Vice Chairman Saurabh Bharadwaj on Twitter, Verma said to the official about the defoamer chemical, “After eight years, you have remembered now that it is approved? You take a dip in it now.” he official then asked Verma why he is getting angry. “Why do you think people will die of this? It is a chemical that is approved by the US FDA. The NMCG (National Mission for Clean Ganga) has also approved it,” he said. In response to this, Verma said: “Tere sar pe daal doon yeh chemical? Tum yahan pe chemical daal do paani mein aur yahan pe log lagayenge dubki, yeh main tere sar par daal doon? (You will spray the chemical in the water here and people will come to take a dip in the water. I’ll pour this over your head?) Sharam nahin aati tumhein? (Are you not ashamed?).” Why does the Yamuna froth every year around Chhath Pooja? The reason behind the foaming is usually the presence of phosphates from detergents, and anaerobic bacteria in the water that falls from a height at the Okhla barrage, an official from the DJB said. Sushmita Sengupta, Senior Programme Manager of the Water Programme at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said that at this time of the year, the river is in a lean phase and the water flow is less.

At UN Climate Summit, India to Flex Its Negotiating Muscles

As countries gathered in Scotland were crystallizing their pledges at last year’s United Nations climate conference, India used its might to intervene. Along with China, India took issue with the draft deal’s suggestion to “phase out” coal, preferring the wording, “phase down.” After much back and forth and hurried discussions between leaders, Bhupendra Yadav, India’s minister for environment, forests, and climate change, read out the final version. It said that nations should work toward a “phase down” of coal power. The intervention was, for India’s government, a success. Now the country is expected to exercise its influence yet again to look out for its own interests at the upcoming U.N. climate conference in Egypt, known as COP27. “India has always played a key role in climate negotiations and I think Egypt will be the same,” said Navroz Dubash, a lead author of various U.N. climate reports and a long-time observer of climate policy and governance. Indian leaders say the nation requires billions of dollars to enable its clean energy transition and will push for better financing for developing countries at the summit. India has made many of its carbon emission goals conditional on receiving this financial help. Being both a climate vulnerable as well as a high emitting country, experts say India occupies a unique position on the global climate policy negotiating table. About 80% of India’s population live in regions highly vulnerable to extreme disasters like severe flooding or heat waves, according to a 2021 study by the climate think-tank Council on Energy, Environment and Water based in New Delhi. Meanwhile, the nation is currently the world’s third biggest emitter of carbon dioxide behind China and the U.S., according to latest estimates. A key issue for India at COP27 will be how to finance both adapting to climate change and limiting fossil fuel emissions, according to a senior Indian government official who will be involved in the negotiations. The official, from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, responded to written questions from The Associated Press. The official was not named, keeping in line with ministry protocols. India wants the $100 billion-a-year pledge of climate funds for developing countries, a promise made in 2009 that hasn’t yet been fulfilled despite being two years past its deadline, to be assessed, according to the official. Other questions around financing, such as what happens to climate funding in the long term, what contributions rich countries will make to poorer ones and how to make finance flows consistent with global temperature limit goals, also need to be addressed, they added. No other country will see a bigger increase in energy demand than India in the coming years, and it is estimated that the nation will need $223 billion to meet its 2030 clean energy targets. “India has made it adequately clear that it is the historical responsibility of rich countries to provide the necessary climate funding,” said the senior Indian government official. Historically, it is the U.S. and European nations that have contributed the most carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. Estimates for how much it will cost to move to clean energy and industry practices globally and help vulnerable communities adapt vary, but are in the trillions of dollars. Leading up to COP27, India had announced its new climate plan saying the country will aim to achieve half of its energy requirements from non-fossil fuel-based energy sources by the year 2030. Currently, 42% of the country’s installed electricity capacity is from non-fossil fuel sources. “The investments in renewable energy, though on an upward trend, need significant scaling up. There is a funding gap. This gap needs to met by international climate public financing to attract investors in the renewable energy domain,” said the Indian government official. “The raised ambitions and new goals for tackling climate change could all be in vain if adequate financial support is not provided to developing countries.” Despite their ambitious climate plans, India is also investing more in coal, at least in the short-term. In the last two years alone, the Indian government has announced around $50 billion in forthcoming public and private investment in coal. Compensation for poor countries from rich, high-polluting nations for the destruction caused by climate change, known as “loss and damage” in climate negotiations will be a key agenda item for many developing countries, including India. According to the World Bank, 750 million people in South Asia have been affected by at least one natural disaster in the past two decades. These disasters are expected to become more frequent and intense, potentially creating immense loss and damage in the region. The NGO Germanwatch has ranked India seventh among countries most affected by extreme weather in 2019, noting that massive floods that year caused damage of around $10 billion, claiming 1,800 lives and displacing around 1.8 million people. “I think it’s a real challenge for India to position itself” on loss and damage, said Dubash, who’s also a professor at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi. “I think it would be an important moment for India to signal its allegiance with vulnerable countries,” Long term observers of climate diplomacy say India, like many other countries, is straddling climate goals and boosting standards of living. “There are some groups of countries which tend to think that all the financing for fossil fuels should be stopped and should be restricted. The problem with this, among other things, is that it ignores the efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals that many countries are making,” said RR Rashmi, a distinguished fellow at The Energy Research Institute in New Delhi. He added that moving away from fossil fuels “has to be a country driven process. It is best left to them to decide which sectors to address first rather than addressing it globally.” Many observers say this year’s conference will be “in-between COP,” as many of the deadlines set for climate change goals have either passed or are not due until later years. This makes the conference “a good moment to push forward the issues that the developed world typically sideline, like loss and damage, climate finance and adaptation,” said Avantika Goswami, a climate policy researcher at the Centre for Science and Environment in New Delhi. For the most part, experts say India is keeping its cards close to its chest. India will have to balance “what the country is willing to put on the table in terms of pledges, policies, and commitments” and how much they are willing to spend, said Dubash. “So we (India) don’t want to do something that would lock ourselves into something costly unless there’s a promise of finance.”

Construction ban in Delhi-NCR as AQI on verge of 'severe'Construction ban in Delhi-NCR as AQI on verge of 'severe'

NEW DELHI: With air quality likely to touch "severe" in Delhi on Sunday, the sub-committee of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Saturday banned all construction and demolition activities across Delhi-NCR, ordered closure of brick kilns and hot mix plants not operating on approved fuels apart from barring stone crushers and mining operations. The measures were enforced as per the "severe" category under stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR. Delhi's average AQI on Saturday plummeted to 397, in the "very poor" zone verging on "severe", and is likely to deteriorate further till Tuesday. The share of stubble burning in Delhi's PM2.5 rose to 21%, the highest so far this season. The CAQM chairperson has written to the Punjab chief secretary requesting immediate action to curb farm fires in the state. CAQM has also sought proper implementation of the action plan and a comprehensive report on action taken in all reported cases of stubble-burning. ‘Delhi may impose curbs on some vehicles’ The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) implemented Grap III measures in Delhi-NCR from Saturday, in anticipation of a further deterioration in air quality over the next few days. “The winds are forecasted to be calm in the coming days and the wind direction is likely to change course frequently. Thus, there is a high likelihood of the pollutants getting trapped in the region,” it said. Unlike previous years, the modified GRAP’s stage II, III and IV come into force in advance, based on the forecast. The order banned C&D activities, except railway services/railway stations, Metro rail services including stations, airports and inter-state bus terminals, national security/ defence related activities/projects of national importance, hospitals, linear public projects such as highways, roads, flyovers, over bridges, power transmission and pipelines, sanitation projects like sewage treatment plants and water supply project etc; and ancillary activities specific to and supplementing above categories of projects. However, nonpolluting and non-dust generating activities, including plumbing, interior decoration, electrical and carpentry work, will be allowed. The ban on C&D activities will severely impact daily-wage labourers involved in the housing sector. CAQM has banned industries running on non-approved fuels in industrial areas having PNG infrastructure and supply. However, industries running on non-cleaner fuels in industrial areas where PNG infrastructure and supply are unavailable will be allowed to operate for five days a week till December 31. Milk and dairy units and those involved in manufacturing of life-saving medical equipment, drugs and medicines have been exempted from the restrictions. CAQM said state governments in NCR/ Delhi may impose curbs on BS III petrol and BS IV diesel LMVs (4-wheelers). The commission asked implementing agencies to intensify frequency of mechanised sweeping of roads, conduct daily water sprinkling along with use of dust suppressants and intensification of public transport services and introduction of differential rates to encourage off-peak travel. Citizens have been advised to choose a cleaner commute. People, whose positions allow working from home, may work from home and individual house owners may provide electric heaters to security staff to avoid open burning. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, said, “The impact on emergency measures depends on the effective implementation with zero tolerance in the entire Delhi and NCR. But deeper and sustained action is required to permanently reduce emissions.” Since farm fires are rising in Punjab, the CAQM chairperson highlighted the fact that despite repeated assurances by senior state government officials, the farm fire numbers weren’t brought down.

Weather Wrap: Winter Nip in Northern States; False Alarm in Bengaluru, Hyderabad; Heavy Rains Expected in TN, Kerala Starting Today

The onset of winter has commenced in several northern Indian states, bringing cooler temperatures and dry weather after a delayed monsoon withdrawal. Temperatures in Bengaluru and Hyderabad were also brought down this week, however IMD officials denied that these were early winter onsets. Winter has commenced in Maharashtra as Pune saw a dip in temperature below normal and Mumbai skirted the ‘October heat’ due to delayed monsoon withdrawal. Meanwhile, parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir have already seen the season’s first snowfall earlier this month. On the other hand, the north-east monsoon is expected to commence on Saturday, bring heavy showers over Tamil Nadu, Kerala and coastal Andhra Pradesh. Latest updates: Air Quality Drops in Delhi-NCR as Winter Sets In Delhi had the cleanest start to winter in years, with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Thursday releasing an analysis of winter pollution in Delhi since 2015, finding that this October has had the cleanest start to the winter season with respect to PM 2.5 presence since the data was compiled. However, the Delhi-NCR region is now seeing a dip in air quality with the AQI index reflected being in the ‘severe’ and ‘very poor’ categories at most stations. The AQI at Anand Vihar station reached a whopping 456, while Ashok Vihar saw the index at 422 on Saturday.

GSPCB ropes in IIT Goa to study air quality

PANJIM: The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has roped in Indian Institute Technology (IIT) Goa to conduct a two-year long comprehensive study to understand the air quality across the State and recommend mitigation measures. IIT Goa has already proposed the need for deploying sensor network for more efficient air data collection and analysis. States namely Maharashtra and Meghalaya have already adopted concept of senor monitoring of air quality on trial basis. The sensors will monitor particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), ozone, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and sulphur oxides (SOx). The sources informed that the scope of the study includes a complete study to understand the air quality data across various zones -- industrial, residential, commercial, port, mining belts and coastal area. Sources said that various techniques including the existing methodology and available data will be used to study the air quality and recommend mitigation measures. “An interim report is expected shortly, following which approval will be given for deploying senor-based network,” sources said. Currently, the ambient air quality monitoring is conducted through a manual method (analysis of pollutants measured once every six days where data is transferred manually) and through continuous method (automatic real-time data collection of pollutants measured). Manual monitors to measure air quality have been used since 1984-85 by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which was later renamed the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) network. Low-cost monitoring sensors measure ambient air quality based on light scattering technology using much smaller equipment as compared to existing air quality measuring technology. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in its recent report has revealed that 13 per cent of the total deaths reported in Goa in 2019, were attributed to air pollution.

At UN climate summit, India to flex its negotiating muscles

As countries gathered in Scotland were crystallizing their pledges at last year’s United Nations climate conference, India used its might to intervene. Along with China, India took issue with the draft deal’s suggestion to “phase out” coal, preferring the wording, “phase down.” After much back and forth and hurried discussions between leaders, Bhupendra Yadav, India’s minister for environment, forests, and climate change, read out the final version. It said that nations should work toward a “phase down” of coal power. The intervention was, for India’s government, a success. Now the country is expected to exercise its influence yet again to look out for its own interests at the upcoming U.N. climate conference in Egypt, known as COP27. “India has always played a key role in climate negotiations and I think Egypt will be the same,” said Navroz Dubash, a lead author of various U.N. climate reports and a long-time observer of climate policy and governance. A bus drives past a windmill farm in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh, India, Sept 14, 2022. The key priority for India at the upcoming U.N. climate conference will be how to pay for the transition away from fossil fuels for energy and industries to meet temperature limit targets, according to a senior official who'll be part of the negotiations. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) 1 of 4 A bus drives past a windmill farm in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh, India, Sept 14, 2022. The key priority for India at the upcoming U.N. climate conference will be how to pay for the transition away from fossil fuels for energy and industries to meet temperature limit targets, according to a senior official who'll be part of the negotiations. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) BENGALURU, India (AP) — As countries gathered in Scotland were crystallizing their pledges at last year’s United Nations climate conference, India used its might to intervene. Along with China, India took issue with the draft deal’s suggestion to “phase out” coal, preferring the wording, “phase down.” After much back and forth and hurried discussions between leaders, Bhupendra Yadav, India’s minister for environment, forests, and climate change, read out the final version. It said that nations should work toward a “phase down” of coal power. The intervention was, for India’s government, a success. Now the country is expected to exercise its influence yet again to look out for its own interests at the upcoming U.N. climate conference in Egypt, known as COP27. “India has always played a key role in climate negotiations and I think Egypt will be the same,” said Navroz Dubash, a lead author of various U.N. climate reports and a long-time observer of climate policy and governance. ADVERTISEMENT Indian leaders say the nation requires billions of dollars to enable its clean energy transition and will push for better financing for developing countries at the summit. India has made many of its carbon emission goals conditional on receiving this financial help. Being both a climate vulnerable as well as a high emitting country, experts say India occupies a unique position on the global climate policy negotiating table. About 80% of India’s population live in regions highly vulnerable to extreme disasters like severe flooding or heat waves, according to a 2021 study by the climate think-tank Council on Energy, Environment and Water based in New Delhi. Meanwhile, the nation is currently the world’s third biggest emitter of carbon dioxide behind China and the U.S., according to latest estimates. A key issue for India at COP27 will be how to finance both adapting to climate change and limiting fossil fuel emissions, according to a senior Indian government official who will be involved in the negotiations. The official, from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, responded to written questions from The Associated Press. The official was not named, keeping in line with ministry protocols. India wants the $100 billion-a-year pledge of climate funds for developing countries, a promise made in 2009 that hasn’t yet been fulfilled despite being two years past its deadline, to be assessed, according to the official. Other questions around financing, such as what happens to climate funding in the long term, what contributions rich countries will make to poorer ones and how to make finance flows consistent with global temperature limit goals, also need to be addressed, they added. No other country will see a bigger increase in energy demand than India in the coming years, and it is estimated that the nation will need $223 billion to meet its 2030 clean energy targets. “India has made it adequately clear that it is the historical responsibility of rich countries to provide the necessary climate funding,” said the senior Indian government official. Historically, it is the U.S. and European nations that have contributed the most carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. Estimates for how much it will cost to move to clean energy and industry practices globally and help vulnerable communities adapt vary, but are in the trillions of dollars. Leading up to COP27, India had announced its new climate plan saying the country will aim to achieve half of its energy requirements from non-fossil fuel-based energy sources by the year 2030. Currently, the country has the capacity to generate about 42% of its electricity requirements from non-fossil fuel sources. “The investments in renewable energy, though on an upward trend, need significant scaling up. There is a funding gap. This gap needs to met by international climate public financing to attract investors in the renewable energy domain,” said the Indian government official. “The raised ambitions and new goals for tackling climate change could all be in vain if adequate financial support is not provided to developing countries.” Despite their ambitious climate plans, India is also investing more in coal, at least in the short-term. In the last two years alone, the Indian government has announced around $50 billion in forthcoming public and private investment in coal. Compensation for poor countries from rich, high-polluting nations for the destruction caused by climate change, known as “loss and damage” in climate negotiations will be a key agenda item for many developing countries, including India. According to the World Bank, 750 million people in South Asia have been affected by at least one natural disaster in the past two decades. These disasters are expected to become more frequent and intense, potentially creating immense loss and damage in the region. The NGO Germanwatch has ranked India seventh among countries most affected by extreme weather in 2019, noting that massive floods that year caused damage of around $10 billion, claiming 1,800 lives and displacing around 1.8 million people. “I think it’s a real challenge for India to position itself” on loss and damage, said Dubash, who’s also a professor at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi. “I think it would be an important moment for India to signal its allegiance with vulnerable countries,” Long term observers of climate diplomacy say India, like many other countries, is straddling climate goals and boosting standards of living. “There are some groups of countries which tend to think that all the financing for fossil fuels should be stopped and should be restricted. The problem with this, among other things, is that it ignores the efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals that many countries are making,” said RR Rashmi, a distinguished fellow at The Energy Research Institute in New Delhi. He added that moving away from fossil fuels “has to be a country driven process. It is best left to them to decide which sectors to address first rather than addressing it globally.” Many observers say this year’s conference will be “in-between COP,” as many of the deadlines set for climate change goals have either passed or are not due until later years. This makes the conference “a good moment to push forward the issues that the developed world typically sideline, like loss and damage, climate finance and adaptation,” said Avantika Goswami, a climate policy researcher at the Centre for Science and Environment in New Delhi. For the most part, experts say India is keeping its cards close to its chest. India will have to balance “what the country is willing to put on the table in terms of pledges, policies, and commitments” and how much they are willing to spend, said Dubash. “So we (India) don’t want to do something that would lock ourselves into something costly unless there’s a promise of finance.”

Planners Are Hoping That Electric Vehicles Will Help Save the World’s Most Polluted City

The clock is ticking in New Delhi. As another November approaches in the Indian capital, millions of residents will be left gasping for breath because of notorious seasonal smog. Schools will be shut down. The vulnerable will be advised to stay indoors. Hospitals will become crowded with people suffering from respiratory illnesses. Traditional agrarian practices kickstart this yearly health emergency. Farmers in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab prepare for the sowing of new crops by burning off the stubble left from the harvest. This smoke spreads to Delhi, where it mixes with winter fog, dust, and vehicular and industrial emissions to form a toxic miasma. Then come the annual celebrations of the Diwali holiday, the festival of lights. Despite being banned, firecrackers fill the skies with smoke, causing pollution levels to spike even further. A day after Diwali, which this year fell on Oct. 24, the air quality in Delhi turned “very poor,” according to the Central Pollution Control Board. But underlying all these seasonal factors is the constant of extremely high vehicular emissions. According to a survey by the Centre for Science and Environment, a New Delhi-based research and advocacy organization, emissions from two-, three- and four-wheeled vehicles account for more than half of Delhi’s particulate pollution. Delhi has now replaced Beijing as the city with the world’s worst air. The human toll is high. In 2020, there were about 54,000 premature deaths attributable to pollution in New Delhi alone. Nationwide in India, air pollution is estimated to kill more than two million people a year. Lung cancer, usually associated with smoking, is increasing rapidly among non-smokers, and every three minutes a child dies in India because of air pollution. Small wonder that authorities at municipal, state and federal levels are racing to avert Delhi’s annual airborne catastrophe with a raft of measures, including crackdowns on construction site dust, waste burning and firecrackers, as well as a recently launched “Green War Room” to monitor pollution data and ensure implementation of specific measures. At the center of the plans to make the Indian capital more livable is an ambitious shift to electric vehicles. The boldest component of New Delhi’s war on pollution is the Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy, which was launched in August 2020. It aims to make New Delhi “the EV capital of the world,” with 25% of all new vehicles on the city’s roads by 2024 to be powered by electricity. To help achieve this goal, the city established a number of subsidies and incentives that seem to be working. Sales of electric vehicles have increased by roughly 40% since the implementation of the policy two years ago—more than 72,000 electric vehicles have been sold, and electric vehicles now account for close to 10% of all vehicles being sold each month according to figures cited by the transportation department. Although the policy has been in effect for around two years, it is still too early to assess whether pollution levels have dropped marginally. The shift toward electric vehicles isn’t just focused on cars. Two- and three-wheelers make up 75% of all vehicles in Delhi, and the Delhi EV Policy includes incentives for e-bikes and e-rickshaws. Recently, the government announced that charging stations will offer low-cost charging for these smaller electric vehicles. Unfamiliarity, however, is one issue holding back greater adoption of electric vehicles. “People want to be sure of EVs before letting their non-electric vehicles go,” says Ashish Rao Ghorpade, deputy director of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives—a global network of municipal authorities that have pledged themselves to sustainable development. Affordability is also a significant deterrent for Indian consumers, for most of whom car ownership is a distant dream. The average cost of an electric vehicle in New Delhi is roughly $20,000, while an average, entry-level fossil- fuel car can be bought for less than $5,000. Per capita income stands at just $4,800. Ghorpade points out that many people who are buying electric cars are buying them as a second vehicle while still keeping their fossil-fuel automobiles. There needs to be a “change in people’s behavior,” he says. But for that to happen, battery-powered cars need to be seen as just as reliable as gas-powered ones. The majority of local drivers continue to be skeptical. “What will happen if you get to a place and there aren’t any charging stations?” asks Irfan, a resident of Delhi who declined to give his full name. “And if you need to get somewhere quickly, filling the car up with gas only takes five minutes as opposed to charging, which takes much longer.” Akhil Kumar, a journalist for the Indian television network NDTV, went ahead and purchased an electric vehicle, but he says he often finds himself driving around town looking for a charging point. “There is no way to tell whether a charging station is operational and free of users at any particular moment,” he tells TIME. Jasmine Shah, vice chair of the Delhi government’s Dialogue and Development Commission, says the government is working on a mobile application that will allow users to view real-time information on electric charging stations. And in 2023, the Delhi government plans to increase the number of charging points across the city from 2,000 to 18,000. It remains to be seen whether New Delhi will meet its ambitious goal of 25% of vehicles being electric by 2024, but experts agree that a cleaner transportation sector is critical for addressing the city’s deadly pollution levels. At the same time, environmentalists warn that more electric vehicles alone will not necessarily fix the air quality crisis unless paired with greener energy generation, given that India’s capital currently relies on coal- and gas-based power plants. Satish Sinha, associate director of the environmental group Toxics Link, says that the source of power generation for electric charging stations continues to largely be thermal or gas. “More should be done to generate power from renewable sources,” he says. Despite the challenges, people like Shah are confident in the long-term success of the effort to shift New Delhi away from fossil fuels toward a cleaner future. “An EV revolution is underway,” Shah tells TIME.