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Truck ban falls flat at several border points in Delhi

Spot check by HT shows trucks were allowed entry without any checks at some borders; enforcement strict in Gurugram. A day after the Delhi government issued an order banning the entry of all trucks, except those carrying essential goods, into the Capital till November 21 to control the rising pollution levels in the city, a spot check by HT on Thursday showed that its enforcement remained lax at several border points as trucks went past tolls without any checks. At the Badarpur border, the toll collectors said that they were not aware of any directions to stop the entry of trucks coming into the city from Haryana. A toll collector said that around 20-25 trucks bearing Haryana registration had crossed the borders by Thursday afternoon. “Since morning, trucks are moving freely here. We are not aware of any restrictions and we have not been directed to check the vehicles (if they are carrying essential goods or not) before letting them pass,” said Sanjeev Kumar, who was stationed at the Badarpur toll booth on Thursday afternoon. A few metres away from the toll, the driver of a medium-sized parked truck bearing a Haryana number plate, said, “I am on my way back. I am not aware of any restriction.” At the Pul Prahladpur border, a few kilometres away, police barricades were in place but it was unmanned. A row of small trucks were parked at the Pul Prahladpur village but HT couldn’t confirm if they were carrying essential goods. However, at the Apsara border near east Delhi’s Dilshad Garden, strict checks were being conducted, with enforcement teams comprising Delhi Police officials, traffic personnel and paramilitary staff manning the area around the toll plaza. An official stationed at the border said that smaller trucks were turned back at the toll gate. For bigger trucks, which might cause traffic congestion while turning, the staff collect the vehicle’s documents at the toll and the drivers are asked to collect them after taking a U-turn at the nearest point. “There is a three-tier check here. We are collecting the vehicle documents so that the drivers do not drive past the borders,” said the official, who asked not be named. Meanwhile, the Gurugram police too set up barricades at 10 locations in the district and diverted trucks through the western peripheral expressway towards other states. Gurugram Police said that at least 200 trucks that were on their way to Delhi via Gurugram were diverted from Shankar Chowk on Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway on Thursday, in compliance with the measures announced to prevent further deterioration of air quality in the National Capital Region. Sanjeev Balhara, assistant commissioner of police (traffic), said, “We have set up checkpoints and deployed teams at all locations where heavy vehicles enter the expressway. At least 300 personnel are deployed at the borders and are checking all vehicles to ensure only vehicles carrying essential commodities enter the city,” he said. Gurugram police have also asked neighbouring districts – Nuh, Rewari and Jhajjar – to not allow heavy vehicles and re-route them via KMP Expressway. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) order on Wednesday assigned the task of banning trucks to the Delhi Police, Delhi’s transport department, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the three municipal corporations (North, South and East). The order followed similar directions issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas to control the rising pollution levels in the city. Officials had said that the order is unlikely to cause chaos as most of the non-destined commercial vehicles now bypass the city by taking the eastern and western peripheral expressways that form a ring around the Capital. “We have issued strict directions that no laxity will be tolerated. Trucks are being checked at the borders and if they are carrying non-essentials, they are being turned back,” said a senior DPCC official. The Delhi traffic police officials said that they have held talks with all the major truck associations, asking them to comply with the order. “All the associations/unions of truck operators/owners and drivers have been advised to make adequate arrangements at their own level for proper parking and halting of their trucks outside Delhi borders, at suitable places like warehouses, transport hubs etc till November 21,” said Manish Kumar Agarwal, special commissioner of police (traffic). He added, “Police authorities of neighbouring NCR towns have also been requested to make adequate arrangements for diversion of such trucks, which are not supposed to enter Delhi, in order to avoid congestion at border points.” Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said the contribution from trucks in Delhi’s air has reduced over the last couple years due to the expressways, but they are still one of the biggest polluters in the vehicle segment. “These are heavy duty vehicles, and trucks enter Delhi in the night when temperatures are low and these emissions can stay trapped in the air till the next day. In our analysis in 2015, we found that trucks were contributing to around 30% of the total pollution due to vehicles,” she said. Tanushree Ganguly, Programme Lead at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), said while the ban on entry of trucks into Delhi was a good move, there also needs to be a restriction on the movement of private vehicles in order to complement the ban.

Barricades set up on Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway; 200 trucks diverted away from Capital

Police set up checkpoints at Shankar Chowk, two kilometres before the Sirhaul toll plaza, Bilaspur, Bijwasan, Bajghera and Manesar. These points connect to industrial areas and witness heavy movement of trucks, said police A day after the Delhi government issued an order banning the entry of heavy vehicles into the Capital till November 21, Gurugram police on Thursday set up barricades at 10 locations in the district and diverted trucks through KMP Expressway towards other states. Police said that at least 200 trucks that were on their way to Delhi via Gurugram were diverted from Shankar Chowk on Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway on Thursday, in compliance with the measures announced to prevent further deterioration of air quality in the National Capital Region. Sanjeev Balhara, assistant commissioner of police (traffic), said, “Drivers of around 500 trucks were asked to bypass the routes at Bilaspur and Manesar via KMP Expressway. We have set up checkpoints and deployed teams at all locations where heavy vehicles enter the expressway. At least 300 personnel are deployed at the borders and are checking all vehicles to ensure only vehicles carrying essential commodities enter the city,” he said. Police said heavy vehicles that had already entered Gurugram were sent back from Shankar Chowk after taking a U-turn. Police set up checkpoints at Shankar Chowk, two kilometres before the Sirhaul toll plaza, Bilaspur, Bijwasan, Bajghera and Manesar. These points connect to industrial areas and witness heavy movement of trucks, said police. Gurugram police have also asked neighbouring districts – Nuh, Rewari and Jhajjar – to not allow heavy vehicles and re-route them via KMP Expressway. Traffic police said their staff is deployed in two shifts at KMP Expressway and 11 borders connecting Delhi to check the movement of heavy vehicles. However, a spot check by HT on Thursday showed that its enforcement remained lax at several border points as trucks went past tolls without any checks. At the Badarpur border, the toll collectors said that they were not aware of any directions to stop the entry of trucks coming into the city from Haryana. A toll collector said that around 20-25 trucks bearing Haryana registration had crossed the borders by Thursday afternoon. “Since morning, trucks are moving freely here. We are not aware of any restrictions and we have not been directed to check the vehicles before letting them pass,” said Sanjeev Kumar, who was stationed at the Badarpur toll booth on Thursday afternoon. This HT reporter saw at least five trucks bearing Haryana registration cross over to the Delhi side from Haryana. A few metres away from the toll, the driver of a medium-sized parked truck bearing a Haryana number plate, said, “I am on my way back. I am not aware of any restriction.” Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said the contribution from trucks in Delhi’s air has reduced over the last couple years due to the expressways, but they are still one of the biggest polluters in the vehicle segment. These are heavy duty vehicles, and trucks enter Delhi in the night when temperatures are low and these emissions can stay trapped in the air till the next day. In our analysis in 2015, we found that trucks were contributing to around 30% of the total pollution due to vehicles,” she said. Tanushree Ganguly, Programme Lead at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), said while the ban on entry of trucks into Delhi was a good move, there also needs to be a restriction on the movement of private vehicles in order to complement the ban. “Cutting down intra-city vehicular traffic would not only reduce vehicular exhaust emissions but also contribute to reducing re-suspended dust and idling emissions,” she said.

Lockdown parziale in India per qualità dell’aria disastrosa

In India è indetto un lockdown parziale per ridurre la concentrazione di polveri sottili, arrivata a 30 volte la soglia suggerita dall'OMS. Spulciando nella banca dati di The World Air Quality Project lampeggia agli occhi una classifica. Classifica che vincono i Paesi con l’indice di qualità dell’aria peggiore. Le prime posizioni sono occupate da Paesi orientali e a prendere il primo premio è l’India, ma a che prezzo. Aperta la gara alla ripresa economica post pandemia globale sembra aprire anche la gara a chi avvelena i cittadini. I livelli di particolato in India raggiungono valori talmente proibitivi che l’imposizione di un lockdown per salvaguardare la salute pubblica è irrinunciabile. Difficile anche contare quante città indiane abbiano valori dell’indice di qualità dell’aria ampiamente sopra i livelli di allarme. Troppe sono quelle che presentano un AQI nei range che traducono un’aria che nel migliore dei casi risulta altamente insalubre. Lockdown parziale L’India paga a caro prezzo la crescita e la ripartenza economica. Il Paese è destinato a diventare il più popoloso al mondo, superando la Cina, pertanto c’è bisogno di far largo alle nuove generazioni, di dar loro un posto di lavoro. La rivista medica Lancet imputa all’inquinamento il 18% delle morti indiane. Forse questa statistica troverà ancora la forza di crescere: 22 delle 30 città più inquinate al mondo si trovano proprio in India. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, direttrice del centro per le scienze ambientali, ricorda che i soggetti sensibili all’inquinamento non sono solo gli anziani o chi è affetto da patologie dell’apparato respiratorio. I bambini indiani crescono con polmoni più piccoli e un terzo del campione di bimbi esaminati mostrano danni ai polmoni. Un terzo è un’incidenza enorme: 33 bambini su 100 non sviluppano polmoni sani. Gli organi esecutori indiani hanno deciso di sospendere le attività all’aperto non indispensabili imponendo un semi lockdown. Per una settimana le attività all’aperto vengono sospese, le scuole chiuse, imposto lo smart-working ai dipendenti pubblici e sollecitate le aziende private a fare altrettanto. I livelli del particolato fine, PM 2,5 ovvero particelle con diametro equivalente inferiore a 2,5 micrometri, superano la soglia di sicurezza giornaliera prevista dall’Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità. Da inizio novembre i livelli sono sempre sopra i limiti previsti dall’OMS anche di 20-30 volte. La situazione è insostenibile e il lockdown parziale prevede l’utilizzo di mascherine anche nei luoghi chiusi per combattere la nuvola di polveri sottili che abbraccia Dehli da settimane. eADV Le cause del lockdown Come sempre le cause sono molteplici e i governatori indiani riferiscono che gran parte dell’intensificazione della nube di polveri sottili che soffoca Dehli ogni anno alle porte dell’inverno sia riconducibile alle attività agricole. I contadini bruciano i rifiuti e residui agricoli per fertilizzare i terreni e far posto alle nuove colture. Ma ovviamente l’uscita dal lockdown totale imposto dalla pandemia scatena la ripresa economica. Le fabbriche riprendono a lavorare a pieno regime e il traffico veicolare torna a ostruire le arterie delle città indiane. Alla COP26 l’India mostra scarso interesse ad affrettare il processo di decarbonizzazione dell’industria energetica, obiettivo che ha posto al 2070. Vengono quindi concessi i permessi per avviare oltre 50 nuove centrali di produzione che sfrutteranno combustibili fossili, anche carbone. Effetti delle polveri sottili Avere a che fare con concentrazioni fino a 30 volte oltre la soglia suggerita dell’OMS è allarmante. Una concentrazione già pari a 10 microgrammi per metro cubo può partecipare allo sviluppo di affezioni dell’apparato respiratorio. Valori che superano di 20-30 volte questa soglia comportano insorgenza di disturbi anche alla parte della popolazione sana, determinando un rischio enorme per chi è già un soggetto sensibile. Irritazione delle vie aeree, della pelle e degli occhi, delle mucose. Aumento di pazienti asmatici e con insufficienza respiratoria. Gli effetti più a lungo termine dell’esposizione alle polveri sottili hanno a che vedere con l’aumento dell’incidenza delle malattie respiratorie come bronchite cronica, per arrivare al cancro. AQI: air quality index L’AQI è l’indice che classifica la qualità dell’aria in una scala suddivisa in blocchi valutando le concentrazioni degli inquinanti polveri sottili, ozono, ossidi di azoto e zolfo e monossido di carbonio. Non è univoco globalmente e ogni Stato può avere una sua scala progressiva di classificazione dell’indice. Solitamente i blocchi sono colorati dal verde o azzurro al rosso bruno o marrone o nero. L’indice di qualità dell’aria che solitamente viene preso a riferimento è lo US AQI, ovvero quello statunitense. I blocchi allora sono sei e vanno dal verde al rosso bruno e classificano l’aria in buona, moderata, insalubre per soggetti sensibili, insalubre, altamente insalubre, rischiosa. I blocchi che descrivono condizioni dell’aria da buona a insalubre sono separati da incrementi dell’indice di 50 unità. Le due ultime condizioni, le peggiori in assoluto, vedono l’AQI variare di 100 unità, da 201 a 300 e da 301 in poi (ogni blocco presenta una discontinuità di una unità).

India says difficult to transition from coal to renewable energy

NEW DELHI - India cannot end its dependence on coal, with consumption expected to go up in absolute terms to power the economy that is crucial for the livelihood of the vulnerable, said Indian officials. Their comments come as India is facing criticism for diluting a coal pledge at the recent COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow. The country is dependent on coal for electricity generation even though it has committed to meeting 50 per cent of its energy requirement through renewable energy by 2030. "India depends on coal and fuel subsidies, it is not an easy transition to phase out coal. We can't just force people without making allowances for the vulnerable," said a government official who did not want to be named. "While there will be an overall reduction of coal's contribution to electricity generation in percentage terms, there will still be some increase in absolute terms." He added that India's energy requirements are growing and are yet to peak. At the climate conference, India and China had been criticised for diluting coal pledges. In the text of the COP26 agreement, "phase out" of coal-fired power was changed to "phase down". India has faced the bulk of the criticisms for what was seen as a watering down of the pledge deemed as key to limiting global temperature rises to 1.5 deg C. But government officials said that "phase down" was not India's suggestion in the first place and that other countries had also objected to the wording. India's longstanding position is that development is key to bringing millions out from poverty. It has maintained that countries which have enjoyed the fruits of industrialisation, namely the Western nations, should pay the bigger share of the financing of climate change initiatives and mitigation efforts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at COP26 that India, the world's third-biggest source of greenhouse gases, would increase the share of renewables in electricity generation and announced a long-term goal to bring carbon emissions to net-zero by 2070. Still, India had also objected to the inclusion of a call to end subsidies on fossil fuels. It gives fuel subsidies for the use of liquefied petroleum gas to low-income households. This includes free connection to poorer households that officials said had helped in eliminating biomass burning for cooking. While New Delhi sees the climate conference as a success, a key area of disappointment has been climate finance, a major area of contention at the event. India was among many countries that had sought enhanced commitments from the developed nations. In 2009, it was decided that wealthy nations would plough in US$100 billion (S$136 billion) a year in climate finance to less wealthy nations by 2020. The target remained unachieved, with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development calculating that only US$79 billion a year was given till 2019. Officials said that during negotiations at COP26, the African Union had sought US$1.3 trillion per year by 2030. This was supported by India, which had sought US$1 trillion, and like-minded countries. "But that went off the table," said the official. The final COP26 text recognises the need for climate finance pledges from developed countries and asks them to reach the US$100 billion goal as soon as possible. "Climate change is different from other areas where financing may be a charity or which is an addition. Here it is an integral part of the agreement. Without financing, there is no discussion on climate change," Ms Sunita Narain, director-general of the Centre for Science and Environment in New Delhi, told The Straits Times. She said the seven largest emitters - the European Union, the United States, Russia, Britain, Australia, Canada and Japan - have taken up the bulk of carbon budget. A carbon budget refers to the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions permitted over a period of time to keep within the goal of a certain temperature. "If you add China to it by 2030, these countries will occupy 70 per cent of the carbon budget, which means the bulk of the world, including India, is left with no space for development," said Ms Narain. She noted that developing countries needed a share of the carbon budget to develop but in a manner that mitigates climate change dangers with a low carbon footprint.

Delhi pollution: AQI अभी भी खराब कैटेगरी में; NASA ने खींची पराली जलाने से दिल्ली की ओर बढ़ते धुएं की तस्वीर

दिल्ली-NCR में अभी भी वायु प्रदूषण (Air Pollution) खतरनाक स्तर पर है। यहां शुकवार सुबह वायु गुणवत्ता सूचकांक (Delhi AQI) 332 रहा। यह बेहद खराब श्रेणी में आती है। हालांकि पिछले दिन के मुकाबले इसमें कमी आई है। इस बीच NASA ने पॉल्युशन की एक तस्वीर शेयर की है। नई दिल्ली. राजधानी में वायु प्रदूषण (Air Pollution) रोकने की दिशा में सुप्रीम कोर्ट(Supreme court) की सख्ती के बाद दिल्ली सरकार एक्शन में आ गई है। प्रदूषण फैलाने वाले व्हीकल्स के खिलाफ जुर्माने की कार्रवाई की जा रही है। पिछले 72 घंटे में ऐसे वाहनों से 1 करोड़ रुपए वसूले गए। इस बीच शुक्रवार सुबह वायु गुणवत्ता सूचकांक (Delhi AQI) 332 रहा। यह बेहद खराब श्रेणी में आती है। हालांकि पिछले दिन के मुकाबले इसमें कमी आई है। 18 नवंबर को AQI 362 था। NASA ने खींची पराली से उठते धुएं की तस्वीर 18 नवंबर को दिल्ली के पर्यावरण मंत्री गोपाल राय ने सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एंवायरोमेंट (CSE) की एक रिपोर्ट का हवाला देते हुए कहा था कि दिल्ली में प्रदूषण के लिए बाहरी स्रोतों का योगदान 69% है और दिल्ली के अपने स्रोतों का योगदान 31% है। यह स्टडी 2016 में दिल्ली में एनर्जी एंड रिसोर्स इंस्टीट्यूट(टेरी) ने कराई थी। इस बीच अमेरिकी संस्था NASA ने एक तस्वीर शेयर की है। यह तस्वीर 11 नवंबर को खींची गई थी। इसमें पंजाब और हरियाणा में जलाई गई पराली का धुआं दिल्ली की ओर बढ़ते दिख रहा है। तस्वीर में दिल्ली-NCR की ओर बढ़ते धुएं को लाल बिंदु से दर्शाया गया है। नासा ने अपने ब्लॉग में इसका जिक्र किया है। इसके अनुसार 11 नवंबर 2021 को सुओमी एनपीपी उपग्रह पर विज़िबल इन्फ्रारेड इमेजिंग रेडियोमीटर सूट (VIIRS) ने पंजाब और हरियाणा में आग(पराली) से उठे धुएं को दिल्ली की ओर बढ़ते देखा जा सकता है। एक वैज्ञानिक के हवाले से लिखा गया कि इस दिन करीब 22 मिलियन लोग धुएं से प्रभावित हुए हैं। 50 तक AQI माना जाता है अच्छा एयर क्वालिटी इंडेक्स 0 से 50 के बीच अच्छा माना जाता है। 51 से 100 के बीच यह संतोषजनक, जबकि 101 से 200 के बीच मध्यम माना जाता है। 201 से 300 के बीच यह खराब श्रेणी में आता है और 301 से 400 के बीच बेहद खराब। 401 से 500 के बीच एयर क्वालिटी इंडेक्स गंभीर श्रेणी में आता है एक स्टडी में ओजोन को बताया जिम्मेदार हाल में एक अंतरराष्ट्रीय स्टडी में खुलासा हुआ कि दिल्ली में पिछले साल Corona महामारी के दौरान लगाए गए लॉकडाउन में उम्मीद थी कि वायु प्रदूषण कम होगा, लेकिन ऐसा नहीं हुआ। इसकी वजह ओजोन(Ozone-O3) को माना गया। कनाडा स्थित यॉर्क यूनिवर्सिटी (York University) ने इस बारे में एक स्टडी की थी। इससे पता चला कि दिल्ली में पहले लॉकडाउन के दौरान प्रदूषणकारी तत्व तो कम हुए थे, लेकिन ओजोन के स्तर (Ozone Level) में कोई कमी नहीं आई थी। तब यातायात बेहद कम था। इसलिए आसमान एकदम साफ था। बावजूद प्रदूषण कम नहीं हुआ था। यह स्टडी Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts जर्नल में छपी है।

विज्ञान और पर्यावरण केंद्र ने केंद्र सरकार की संस्था के साथ मिलकर 24 अक्टूबर से 8 नवंबर के बीच का आंकड़ा

'विज्ञान और पर्यावरण केंद्र ने केंद्र सरकार की संस्था के साथ मिलकर 24 अक्टूबर से 8 नवंबर के बीच का आंकड़ा इकट्ठा किया। इस रिपोर्ट के अनुसार 31% दिल्ली के अंदर का प्रदूषण है और जो दिल्ली के बाहर से प्रदूषण आ रहा है वो 69% है: दिल्ली सरकार में पर्यावरण मंत्री गोपाल राय'

Why Delhi Is the World’s Smog Capital Year After Year

Millions of Indians are breathing the world’s most toxic air. After a brief respite during the pandemic, smog returned this year to envelop the capital Delhi and numerous other cities across the dusty and densely populated North Indian plains. Air pollution in the capital that’s home to 20 million people has proved especially stubborn, and potent: One measure of pollution frequently exceeds the World Health Organization’s daily recommended limits by a factor of more than 20. An estimated 1.67 million people died in 2019 from India’s dirty air -- an annual catastrophe that the authorities are struggling to contain. 1. What causes the pollution? Vehicles and emissions from factories and coal-fired power stations contribute year-round, as do road and construction dust and domestic fires lit by the poor. A grim extra wallop comes late in the year from the burning of crop stubble in the surrounding states of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, even though the practice is banned. Farmers light fires to clear fields in preparation for the winter sowing season. Compounding the problem is the trough-like topography of north India, which means polluted air lingers in colder months. 2. What’s the point of stubble burning? More from Biden Wants Major Oil Reserve Sales. That’s Not Easy in Asia Some Roads Partially Reopened in Flooded British Columbia John Kerry Says Major Climate Focus Must Be on Coal Dependent Nations Biden Bill Heads to Vote as CBO Sees $367 Billion Deficit After rice, wheat or other grain is harvested, the stubble that remains must be removed before the next planting. It was once used as cattle feed, or to make cardboard, but modern mechanical harvesting leaves 80% of the residue that ends up being burnt. Disposal by means other than burning -- such as plowing it into a fine layer of field cover -- costs time and money, two things that farmers say they can’t afford. Recent efforts to manage the problem by converting the crop waste into useful energy haven’t yet produced noticeable results. 3. How serious is the health risk? The Lancet medical journal estimated that almost 18% of India’s deaths in 2019 were caused by bad air. The most dire threat to humans is from PM 2.5, the fine, inhalable particles that lodge deep in the lungs where they can enter the bloodstream. WHO guidelines allow a daily average exposure to PM 2.5 of up to 15 micrograms per cubic meter. Delhi’s reading around noon on Nov. 18 topped 500 in some places. The poor are often most exposed, as they use polluting solid fuels such as wood, dung, coal and charcoal for cooking. By World Bank calculations, diseases, medical conditions and premature deaths linked to pollution cost China and India about 7.5%-8% of their annual gross domestic product. Delhi Air Quality The Indian capital's air pollution frequently reaches unhealthy levels Source: AirVisual Note: Data shows an air quality index (AQI) value derived from raw PM 2.5 readings. 4. Is it getting better or worse? The pollution was less intense due to last year’s virus restrictions, as fewer people traveled on the roads and demand for coal-fired power fell. But India was still home to nine of the top 10 most-polluted cities in the world, as measured by PM 2.5, in a study by IQAir AirVisual. Six of the top 10 -- Delhi, Ghaziabad, Bisrakh Jalalpur, Noida, Greater Noida and Bhiwadi -- are part of the National Capital Region. This month, as the pall of smog blanketed the capital once again, the government closed schools, temporarily shut some coal power plants and encouraged residents to stay indoors. 5. How are citizens reacting? People often complain about the smog on social media, but that’s about it. Some city dwellers even add to the problem by setting off fireworks, ignoring curbs on their sale and use. Yet there are signs that more people are worrying about the impact on their health. Sales of air purifiers and face masks -- driven partly by Covid-19, of course -- are growing, and indoor plants have become a popular addition to Delhi homes. Health groups educating society on the hazards of air pollution say attitudes are slowly changing as people see friends and relatives struck down with respiratory illnesses. Renowned lung specialist Arvind Kumar wrote on Twitter that a child born on a smoggy day in Delhi “would have smoked 40 to 50 cigarettes” on the first day of its life. “We can’t live like this,” said Indian billionaire businessman Sunil Mittal at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore in November. 6. Why hasn’t this been fixed? As an election issue, air pollution tends to take a back seat to unemployment, food and electricity prices, and national security. Candidates for public office are reluctant to tackle stubble burning because farmers are a strong electoral constituency. Unlike in China, where the one-party state has directed a concerted nationwide anti-pollution drive, India’s various levels of government have struggled to make similar progress. Delhi has taken some action against polluting coal plants and vehicles, banned the use of dirtier fuels and curbed construction activity. Yet some of the biggest polluters are being let off, with the government twice extending a deadline for coal power plants to install pollution-control equipment. Toxic Air India sees days with deadly air pollution reaching pre-pandemic level Source: Central Pollution Control Board, India Data denote number of days with AQI readings above 300 for Jan. 1 to Nov. 16 each year. 7. So what’s next? In 2021, New Delhi residents breathed less than a week of air deemed “good” under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, according to U.S. embassy data through Nov. 5. Migrants continue to pour into India’s big cities from the countryside, increasing urban pollution and the number of potential victims. While stubble burning appeared to be on the decline back in 2018, it continues today, and there is little sign that most farmers are willing to accept the ban. The federal administration says it’s now following a national clean air strategy and has tried to overcome bureaucratic inertia by creating a panel with statutory powers to act on pollution. Critics say the strategy lacks hard targets and that more state resources are needed to force compliance with pollution rules, adopt cleaner fuels and shift to electric cars and mass transit systems. The Reference Shelf India’s Supreme Court pressed the government to act. QuickTake explainers on China’s smog and the global menace of air pollution. The WHO’s air pollution database. A 2016 report by India’s Centre for Science and Environment, “Towards a Clean-Air Action Plan: Lessons from Delhi.”

River cleaning impossible until all sewage in Delhi is treated: Report

While the Yamuna's 22 km stretch in Delhi is barely 2 per cent of the length of the total river basin, it contributes over 80 per cent of the total pollution load in the entire river. The national capital has 17 Sewage Treatment Plants, which together add up to 40 per cent of the total installed sewage treatment capacity in India, but these STPs remain grossly underutilised. Besides, the city does not have the drainage to convey all its excreta to the treatment plants. While the Yamuna's 22 km stretch in Delhi is barely 2 per cent of the length of the total river basin, it contributes over 80 per cent of the total pollution load in the entire river. These are the major factors behind the pollution overload in the city's lifeline Yamuna, said a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report on Thursday. Even though Delhi has already spent over Rs 1,500 crore for cleaning the river, the pollution load has only increased, it said. An analysis of the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) of the river indicates that nothing has changed in terms of pollution load. "The load has gone up from about 129 tonnes per day in 1982-83 to over 261 tonnes per day in 2019," he said. Highlighting on the major factors behind the problem, it said that a majority of Delhi lives unconnected to underground drainage or lives in unauthorised and illegal colonies. The untreated sewage from these areas flows into open drains in which the STPs dispose of treated effluent. "In this pollution scheme, the illegal unconnected waste of the majority is being mixed with the treated waste of the minority. The result: growing pollution in the river. We can never clean the Yamuna until we can treat the sewage of all in the city. But this will require providing drainage to all, and sewage treatment for all," said the report. All governments are designing systems that one cannot pay for, the report said. "These are unaffordable systems to pipe water across long distances, which add to the cost of distribution and worse, increase water loss. Then, we design to take back the waste and pump it and pipe it even longer distances. Thus there is a need to relearn the science and art of river cleaning," he said. As per the 2018 estimates, Delhi has spent over Rs 1,500 crore for cleaning the river, excluding the cost of the CETPs. This is possibly the highest amount spent on river cleaning in India, it said. In 2005, the Rs 380-crore Yamuna Action Plan-II was sanctioned for Delhi. Capital investment to clean Delhi stretch of Yamuna Rs 17 crore: Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) -1 Rs 163 crore: YAP-Extended Rs 750-1000 crore: 17 STPs with a capacity of 2330 MLD Rs 256 crore: 15 Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) Rs 100 crore: Sewer Rehabilitation Rs 1286 -Rs 1536 crore: Sub-total till 2005 Rs 2454 crore: Interceptor project (proposed) Rs 3740 - Rs 3990 crore: Total for 22km of Yamuna

Smog chokes India capital

NEW DELHI, India (AP) — Authorities closed schools indefinitely and shut down some coal-burning power plants yesterday to reduce air pollution in India's smog-shrouded capital and neighbouring states, as the country weighs an unprecedented and more far-reaching step: a lockdown in New Delhi. The dirty-air crisis in the city of more than 20 million people has underscored India's heavy dependence on coal, which accounts for 70 per cent of the country's power. The New Delhi state government said it is open to the idea of a weekend lockdown to reduce automobile traffic and potentially other air-polluting activity in the city, and it is awaiting the go-ahead from India's Supreme Court. A decision could come as early as November 24. It's not clear how extensive the lockdown would be. Authorities are discussing whether to allow industries to continue operating. Some experts said a lockdown would achieve very little in controlling pollution and would instead cause disruptions in the economy and harm the livelihoods of millions of people. “This is not the solution that we are looking for, because this is hugely disruptive. And we also have to keep in mind that the economy is already under pressure, poor people are at risk,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at the Centre for Science and Environment, a research and advocacy organisation in New Delhi. Soaring pollution levels in the capital prompted a federal environment ministry panel to issue strict guidelines Tuesday night to stem the pollution and show residents that the Government is taking action against a crisis that has plagued the city for years. Besides closing schools and shutting down some power plants, the Commission for Air Quality Management ordered a stop to construction until November 21 and banned trucks carrying non-essential goods. The panel also directed the affected states to encourage work from home for half of the employees in all private offices. The importance of coal to India was underlined just days ago at the world climate talks in Scotland, where almost 200 nations accepted a compromise deal to fight global warming. It contained a last-minute change sought by India that watered down crucial language about coal. The agreement, as amended, would “phase down” rather than “phase out” coal power, the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Levels of dangerous particles in New Delhi's air yesterday were as high as seven times the safe level, climbing above 300 micrograms per cubic metre in some parts of the city. The World Health Organization designates the safe level as 25. Forecasters warned air quality will worsen before the arrival of cold winds next week that will blow away the smog. Earlier this month, air pollution reached the “severe” level in the capital, and residents faced bouts of heavy, multiday pollution. That prompted the Supreme Court last week to order state and federal governments to take “imminent and emergency” action. New Delhi authorities responded by proposing a lockdown and closing schools for a week. Among the many Indian cities gasping for breath, New Delhi tops the list every year. Auto emissions contribute nearly 25 per cent of the city's pollution in the winter, according to the federal government. The crisis deepens in the cold-weather months when the burning of crop residue in neighbouring states coincides with lower temperatures that trap smoke. That smoke travels to New Delhi.

Schools shut and lockdown considered to curb air pollution around New Delhi

SCHOOLS were closed indefinitely and some coal-fired power plants shut down in smog-shrouded New Delhi and neighbouring states today as the imposition of a lockdown was being considered to combat worsening air pollution. The Supreme Court is deliberating on the lockdown, which would be India’s first to stem pollution rather than limit coronavirus infections. How far it would go is not clear, but the national government has already shown willingness to impose an emergency weekend lockdown. It is now waiting for the Supreme Court’s decision, which could come as early as next Wednesday. Some experts warn that a lockdown would do very little to control pollution while disrupting the economy and harming the livelihoods of millions of people. “This is not the solution that we are looking for, because this is hugely disruptive,” said Centre for Science and Environment executive director Anumita Roychowdhury. “And we also have to keep in mind that the economy is already under pressure, poor people are at risk.” Soaring pollution levels in New Delhi prompted a federal Environment Ministry panel to issue strict guidelines last night to stem the pollution. Besides the closure of schools, the Commission for Air Quality Management ordered the suspension of construction work until Sunday and banned lorries carrying non-essential goods. The panel also directed the states to “encourage” work from home for half of the staff in all private offices. Despite some improvement in New Delhi air over the past two days, readings of dangerous small-particle pollution were still seven times the safe level recorded today, climbing above 300 micrograms per cubic metre in some parts of the city. The World Health Organisation designates the safe level for the poisonous particles at 25. Forecasters warned that air quality would worsen before cold winds arrive next week to blow away the smog. Earlier this month, air quality levels fell to the “severe” category in the capital and residents faced spells of severe pollution that lasted for days. It prompted the Supreme Court to order state and federal governments last week to take “imminent and emergency” measures to tackle the crisis. Though many Indian cities have badly polluted air, New Delhi is the worst. The crisis deepens particularly in the winter when the burning of crop residues in neighbouring states coincides with cooler temperatures that trap deadly smoke. Several studies have estimated that more than a million Indians die every year from air pollution-related diseases.

Delhi pollution: Govt issues order, bans entry of trucks in Capital

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had ordered that the trucks of trucks into the Capital be barred to control hazardous levels of air pollution in the city New Delhi: A day after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas, issued a set of directions to control pollution in the region, the Delhi government on Wednesday issued an order banning the entry of all trucks (except those carrying essential commodities) coming from other states into Delhi till November 21. “It is hereby ordered that the entry of trucks in Delhi shall be barred with immediate effect till November 21 or till further orders. This order shall not apply to trucks carrying essential commodities such as raw vegetables, fruits, grains, milk, eggs, ice that is to be used as a food item, and tankers carrying petroleum products,” the order issued by Delhi transport department said. A senior official of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) that on Wednesday, trucks were turned back from the state borders. “Enforcement teams were deployed on all borders of Delhi on Wednesday. All trucks that were carrying non-essential items were turned back,” the official said. Officials could not give an exact figure on how many trucks now enter Delhi every day, but the order is unlikely to cause major chaos as most of the non-destined commercial vehicles now bypass the city by taking the eastern and western peripheral expressways that form a ring around the Capital. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said the contribution from trucks in Delhi’s air has reduced over the last couple years due to the expressways, but they are still one of the biggest polluters in the vehicle segment. “These are heavy duty vehicles, and trucks enter Delhi in the night when temperatures are low and these emissions can stay trapped in the air till the next day. In our analysis in 2015, we found that trucks were contributing to around 30% of the total pollution due to vehicles,” she said. Tanushree Ganguly, Programme Lead at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), said while the ban on entry of trucks into Delhi was a good move, there also needs to be a restriction on the movement of private vehicles in order to complement the ban. Cutting down intra-city vehicular traffic would not only reduce vehicular exhaust emissions but also contribute to reducing re-suspended dust and idling emissions,” she said. The Delhi traffic police said teams have been formed to keep a check on the movement of trucks at the Delhi borders. “We have deployed teams that will check the freight being carried by the trucks and they will be allowed to enter the city only if they are carrying essential items,” a senior traffic official said.

Schools in Indian capital shut indefinitely as smog worsens

Residents urged to work from home and trucks carrying non-essential goods banned as New Delhi’s air pollution hits dangerous levels. New Delhi has shut down schools until further notice, urged people to work from home and banned non-essential trucks from entering the Indian capital due to dangerous levels of air pollution. One of the world’s most polluted cities – home to some 20 million people – New Delhi is cloaked every winter in a thick blanket of smog. On Saturday, the Delhi state government had ordered schools to close for a week and banned construction work for four days. But in an order passed late on Tuesday, the Commission for Air Quality Management for Delhi said all educational institutions should remain shut until further notice. Five coal-fired power plants around New Delhi have also been temporarily shut down, according to an order from the panel on air pollution, which comes under the federal Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Trucks except those carrying essential goods are barred from entering the capital until November 21 and most construction activities in Delhi and its neighbouring cities were halted, the order said. “Anti-smog guns” and water sprinklers were ordered to operate at hotspots at least three times a day. The commission also said at least 50 percent of staff employed in government should work from home until November 21 and encouraged those in private firms to follow suit. The order comes days after the Delhi government pushed back against a call by India’s Supreme Court to declare a “pollution lockdown” – a first – which would restrict the city’s population to their homes. The top court also rapped the federal and local governments over their failure to mitigate pollution. Experts urge round-the-year action Anumita Roy Chowdhury of New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment told Al Jazeera the emergency measures announced by the Delhi government “cannot solve the problem of air pollution” in the city. “For that, we require round-the-year action on key sources of pollution so that more permanent solutions can be worked out,” she said. Environmental activist Bhavreen Kandhari said she was “extremely angry and disappointed” that the children “are once again home” after a long spell of coronavirus-enforced lockdown. “The government has to take actual strategic actions and not photo-optic solutions like smog towers and putting posters everywhere,” she told Al Jazeera. New Delhi, among the world’s most polluted capital cities, battles chronic winter smog every year as a drop in temperatures trap deadly pollutants from coal-fired power plants outside the city, fumes from vehicles, construction activity, and open burning of rubbish. One of the key contributors to the air pollution in winter is the smoke from farmers burning their crop residue in neighbouring states. The government, however, told the Supreme Court that industry was the biggest contributor followed by vehicular pollution and dust. This week, PM 2.5 levels – harmful particulate matter small enough to enter a person’s bloodstream when inhaled into the lungs, causing chronic lung and heart disease – have been above 400 in several parts of the city. Last week, the levels touched 500, which is more than 30 times the maximum limit recommended by the World Health Organization. A Lancet report in 2020 said almost 17,500 people died in Delhi in 2019 because of air pollution. Another report by Swiss organisation IQAir last year found that 22 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities were in India.

Schools close as New Delhi struggles to emerge from 'severe' smog

Schools closed and coal-based power plants shut down as the Indian capital was smothered in smog this week. The strict measures were put into place to combat worsening air pollution, following an order from the federal environment ministry. The measures come as India’s top court deliberates whether New Delhi should go into a lockdown as a blanket of thick, grey smog continued to envelope the city, particularly in the mornings. The panel issued the guidelines on Tuesday night to stem the pollution and to show residents that the government was taking action to control an environmental crisis that has been plaguing the capital for years. Besides the closure of schools, the Commission for Air Quality Management ordered a stop to construction activities until 21 November and banned trucks carrying non-essential goods. The panel also directed New Delhi and surrounding states to "encourage" work from home for half of the employees in all private offices. Despite some improvement in New Delhi air over the past two days, readings of dangerous particles this week were still as high as seven times the safe level, climbing above 300 micrograms per cubic meter in some parts of the city. The World Health Organisation (WHO) designates the safe level for the tiny, poisonous particles at 25. And forecasters warn air quality would worsen before the arrival of cold winds next week that will blow away the smog. Earlier this month, air quality levels fell to the “severe” category in the capital and residents faced bouts of severe pollution for a number of days. It prompted a stern warning last week from India’s Supreme Court, which ordered state and federal governments to take “imminent and emergency” measures to tackle what it called a crisis. Why is New Delhi one of the most polluted cities? Among the many Indian cities gasping for breath, New Delhi tops the list every year. The crisis deepens particularly in the winter when the burning of crop residues in neighbouring states coincides with cooler temperatures that trap deadly smoke. That smoke travels to New Delhi, leading to a surge in pollution in the city of more than 20 million people. Emissions from industries with no pollution-control technology, pollutants from firecrackers linked to festivals, and construction dust also sharply increase in winter months. More than a million Indians die every year because of air pollution-related diseases. Several studies have estimated that more than a million Indians die every year because of air pollution-related diseases. The capital has often experimented with limiting the number of cars on the road to lower vehicular emissions, using large anti-smog guns and halting construction activity. But the steps have had little effect. Experts say such emergency measures are not helpful in the long run. "These are done only to ensure that you don’t worsen the situation, that you shave off the peak. But it is not a silver bullet that is going to just clean the air immediately,” says Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at the Centre for Science and Environment, a research and advocacy organisation in New Delhi.

Stubble fires go past 2020 tally, rise four-fold since November 1

The farm fire analysis is based on a study of VIIRS-SNP satellite data by a NASA scientist, who said that while daily numbers have begun to reduce, it is unclear whether the 2016 record will remain unbroken – and if fires continue, the threat of bad air continues to loom over Delhi. The number of fires in farmlands in Punjab this year has surpassed last year’s tally to become the highest since 2016, and taken together with the incidents recorded in Haryana, the instances recorded this month are four times that seen till the end of October. Data from SAFAR, accessed by HT, shows that contribution of farm fires to PM2.5 levels in Delhi has ranged from 6% to 48% in November. On an average basis, this comes to 23% although the contribution of farm fires to Delhi’s PM2.5 levels has come down in the last few days. From November 14 to November 17, its contribution was 12%, 10%, 8% and 6%. The farm fire analysis is based on a study of VIIRS-SNP satellite data by a NASA scientist, who said that while daily numbers have begun to reduce, it is unclear whether the 2016 record will remain unbroken – and if fires continue, the threat of bad air continues to loom over Delhi. The data shows last year, the fire numbers were around 79,000 till this time, whereas the count so far according to us is 69,000. The burnt area is also lesser this year,” said Garg, stating fire count had reduced considerably in Punjab. “It is only a matter of a few days now,” he added. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said Punjab has seen a late spike in numbers this year, making it difficult to predict when the numbers will reduce. “Generally, we see a sharp drop after November 15. We will see a clearer trend by next week,” she said.

IIMC’s Apna Radio to broadcast special programme for senior citizens

The students of Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) have launched a special programme on its own community radio channel targeting senior citizens. The director-general of IIMC, Sanjay Dwivedi released the poster of a special radio programme for senior citizens by Apna Radio 96.9 FM. On this occasion, head of the department of Apna Radio, Sangeeta Pranvendra was also present. Apna Radio 96.9 FM, a community radio station run by IIMC, has produced these programmes in collaboration with Vigyan Prasar and Alagappa University, Tamil Nadu. The objective of the series named 'Anubhav' is to disseminate information related to science, technology and health among senior citizens. Advertisement In this radio series, programmes will be broadcast in different languages by six community radio stations of the country. Apna Radio 96.9 FM will produce and broadcast 52 episodes in Hindi. The main objective of these programmes is to try to solve the problems of senior citizens on the basis of their experiences. The programs have been produced under the guidance of Dr. Nakul Parashar, Director, Vigyan Prasar and Dr. R. Sridhar, a community radio expert. These programs have been produced by Kavita Sharma, Farzin Sultan, Sheenam Mehta and Shashank Shekhar from Apna Radio 96.9 FM. Apna Radio has been operational for the last 11 years now. Inaugurated in September 2005, it used to broadcast four hours a day. The transmission was extended to seven hours a day in February, 2013. The radio channel is is closely associated with some NGOs of the area including Chetna, Society for the Promotion of Youth and Masses (SPYM), Can Support, Senior Citizens Welfare Association, (SCWA), Force, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Haq, Muskaan, Dastkar and Indus Action. The radio team covers what these NGOs do for the benefit of the community. Before launching this special programme for senior citizens, this community radio had earlier taken up several other initiatives to help in societal upliftment and students gain experience in being part of a radio channel. The ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign has been another milestone for Apna Radio. Students had interviewed Save Female Child activists such as Puneet Bedi, made in-house jingles and spots and produced a Radio Play ‘Khushi’ on the theme.