Centre for Science and Environment masthead Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Donate

Cse In News

Cse In News

Air quality falls sharply, Greater Noida most polluted in state

Following a short breather, Noida and adjoining areas saw a sharp deterioration in air quality on Thursday with several areas of the city plunging into the “severe” category when even healthy people are affected. This is the first time this season that the air deteriorated to this level. On the day, Greater Noida was the most polluted city in Uttar Pradesh and second most polluted city in the national capital region (NCR), second to Charki Dadri in Haryana, about 90 kms west of Delhi. Slow wind did not help ventilation and pollution levels were almos nine times the standard in Greater Noida and seven times in Noida and Ghaziabad. “We are ensuring that adequate dust and emission control measures are taken to avoid further drop in the air quality, but the issue is that the met conditions are highly unfavourable at time leading to the spike in pollutants,” said Archna Dwivedi, regional officer, UPPCB, Greater Noida. The Air quality index (AQI) of Greater Noida on Thursday, on a scale of 0 to 500, was 412 or ‘severe’ against 324 a day earlier. The AQI of Noida was 383 against 301 a day earlier, while the AQI of Ghaziabad was 389 against 317 a day earlier. Meanwhile, sector-1 area of Noida also turned ‘severe’ with an AQI of 405. According to the pollution monitoring agencies and experts, weather conditions and higher share of stubble burning among the local emissions in the region led to the sharp deterioration of the air quality. The wind speed, according to the weather analyst was nil for most of the day, while some areas across Noida and Ghaziabad saw a wind speed of around three to five kmph for some time. “The wind speed was negligible for most of the day and only for a very short time the winds reached a maximum speed of five kmph, which was not enough for the dispersion of pollutants. The forecast is however promising as winds are likely to increase from October 30 up to 10-12 kmph, while on October 31 the winds will increase further,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, head, regional weather forecasting centre, India Meteorological Department (IMD). According to the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), both PM2.5 and PM10 values of Noida and Ghaziabad saw sharp rise. For Greater Noida, the PM10 was 589.02 microgrammes per cubic metres (µg/m³) and PM2.5 levels were 275.6µg/m³. For Noida, the PM10 and PM2.5 levels were 459.99µg/m³ and 275.05µg/m³, respectively. For Ghaziabad, the PM10 level was 438.36 µg/m³ and PM2.5 was 255.13µg/m³. The CPCB standard limit for PM2.5 is 40µg/m³ while that of PM10 is 60 µg/m³. “PM10 or the large particles causes health issues like breathing issues by reaching up to the lungs however the PM2.5 damages the body further by mixing in the bloodstream thereby causing heart related issues,” said Shambhavi Shukla, program officer, air pollution, centre for science and environment (CSE). Meanwhile, according to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the stubble burning share in PM2.5 in the entire region of NCR, including Noida and adjoining regions was estimated to 36 per cent. “The stubble burning share in PM2.5 is estimated as 36 percent for today…Increased surface wind speed and better ventilation conditions are likely to significantly improve the situation by 31st October,” said a SAFAR statement.

On way out, EPCA lists what remains — starting with curbing crop burning

More than 22 years after it was set up on the orders of the Supreme Court, the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) has been superseded by a bigger, more powerful, and more representative body. In a letter written to Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday, members of the outgoing EPCA listed the achievements of the authority over the years — early phase-in of BS VI emission norms, and the Graded Action Response Plan (GRAP) — and mentioned the tasks that lay ahead for the new Commission for Air Quality Management in the NCR: action on stubble burning and bio-medical waste management in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, among others. “In the next phase of the agenda for clean air, fourth generation reforms need to be deliberated upon and implemented. That will necessitate the massive augmentation of intra-city public transport and move industries, power plants and other users away from polluting fuels, like coal, to natural gas, electricity and renewables to ensure clean combustion,” the letter said. The two-member EPCA, which was tasked with monitoring air pollution over the National Capital Region (NCR), was chaired by retired IAS officer Bhure Lal, and included environmentalist Sunita Narain, director general of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Set up by the central government on January 29, 1998, EPCA has played a crucial role in the drafting of the long-term Comprehensive Action Plan (CAP) for combating air pollution, and the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a set of emergency measures that kick in as the air quality in the NCR deteriorates. One of EPCA’s biggest achievements was the phase-wise replacement of Delhi’s public transport fleet from diesel to CNG, starting in 1998. In recent times, the early rollout of the BS VI grade fuel and emission standards has been an action with far reaching impact. After EPCA’s recommendations to the Union government and Supreme Court, the country skipped the BS V stage and rolled out the BS VI fuel by April 2020. BS VI fuel is estimated to have 80% less sulphur content than BS IV — from 50 parts per million (ppm) to 10 ppm. EPCA had also recommended building two bypasses to move traffic not destined for Delhi away from the city in 2004. These roads, now known as the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways, were commissioned in 2019, and were credited by Javadekar for preventing thousands of vehicles from from entering Delhi per day. A number of other measures, including a ban on pet coke and furnace oil in NCR states, setting up standards for sulphur dioxide (SO2) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and closure of the coal-based Badarpur power plant in Delhi, were taken by EPCA. Lal told The Indian Express, “We were satisfied with the work we did, and the government gave us space and means to do it… We share the government’s concern on air pollution, and the creation of the new Commission will be a good step, which will make work happen on a big scale.” In the letter to Javadekar, EPCA has listed the work that remains to be done — and this includes action to control stubble burning. “EPCA had endorsed the Union government’s plan for management of stubble in Haryana, Punjab and UP… Report number 117 details the current steps taken and what needs to be done for in-situ and ex-situ management of crop residue. This needs to be monitored closely…” Other pending work includes implementation of the parking policy in Delhi-NCR, augmentation of buses in Delhi, pollution control in hotspots of Delhi-NCR, and bio-medical waste management in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. “We believe that the Commission… with its increased participation from different Ministries and much more enhanced role and powers, will be able to make a huge difference and bring us, citizens, the much needed relief from breathing toxins,” the letter said.

दिल्ली-NCR में वायु प्रदूषण पर नियंत्रण के लिए केंद्र सरकार का नया कानून

नई दिल्ली। दिल्ली-एनसीआर में वायु प्रदूषण की गहराती समस्या के बीच केंद्र ने अध्यादेश के जरिए नया कानून लागू किया है। इसके तहत विभिन्न अधिकारों से लैस एक निकाय का गठन किया जाएगा और प्रावधानों का उल्लंघन करने पर 5 साल तक जेल की सजा या एक करोड़ रुपए का जुर्माना या एक साथ दोनों सजा हो सकती है। विधि और न्याय मंत्रालय द्वारा गुरुवार को जारी अध्यादेश के तहत पर्यावरण प्रदूषण (रोकथाम और नियंत्रण) प्राधिकरण (ईपीसीए) को भंग किया गया है और इसके स्थान पर 20 से ज्यादा सदस्यों वाले एक आयोग का गठन किया है। केंद्रीय पर्यावरण मंत्री प्रकाश जावडेकर ने संवाददाताओं से कहा कि दिल्ली-एनसीआर में वायु प्रदूषण पर नियंत्रण के लिए अध्यादेश के जरिए कानून लाना एक महत्वपूर्ण फैसला है और इससे शहर तथा आसपास के क्षेत्रों में प्रदूषण घटाया जाना सुनिश्चित होगा। जावडेकर ने कहा कि यह असरदार और कामयाब होगा। राजधानी में प्रदूषण के लिए जिम्मेदार पड़ोसी क्षेत्रों में प्रदूषण रोकने के लिए यह आयोग बनाया गया है। आयोग अध्यादेश का उल्लंघन करने वालों के खिलाफ कड़ी कार्रवाई करेगा। मैं आश्वस्त हूं कि नए कानून से दिल्ली-एनसीआर में प्रदूषण घटाया जाना सुनिश्चित होगा। इसमें कहा गया कि अध्यादेश को राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र और इससे जुड़े क्षेत्रों में वायु गुणवत्ता प्रबंधन के लिए आयोग अध्यादेश 2020 कहा जा सकता है। यह राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र और आसपास के उन इलाके तक लागू होगा, जहां वायु प्रदूषण से संबंधित मुद्दे हैं। आयोग का गठन अध्यादेश के जरिए किया गया है जिस पर राष्ट्रपति ने बुधवार को हस्ताक्षर किए। अध्यादेश के मुताबिक दिल्ली और एनसीआर से जुड़े इलाके, आसपास के क्षेत्र जहां यह लागू होगा उसमें पंजाब, हरियाणा, राजस्थान और उत्तरप्रदेश हैं। आयोग के पास वायु गुणवत्ता, प्रदूषणकारी तत्वों के बहाव के लिए मानक तय करने, कानून का उल्लंघन करने वाले परिसरों का निरीक्षण करने, नियमों का पालन नहीं करने वाले उद्योगों, संयंत्रों को बंद करने का आदेश देने का अधिकार होगा। इसमें कहा गया कि आयोग के किसी भी प्रावधान या नियमों या आदेश या निर्देश का पालन नहीं करना दंडनीय अपराध होगा जिसके लिए 5 साल जेल की सजा या एक करोड़ रुपए जुर्माना या एक साथ दोनों सजा हो सकती है। कुछ दिन पहले ही सुप्रीम कोर्ट में एनसीआर के प्रदूषण से जुड़े मुद्दे पर सुनवाई के दौरान केंद्र की ओर से सॉलिसिटर जनरल तुषार मेहता पेश हुए थे। उन्होंने कहा था कि केंद्र राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र और आसपास के इलाके में वायु गुणवत्ता के प्रबंधन के लिए नया कानून लाएगा। केंद्र ने गुरुवार को सुप्रीम कोर्ट को अवगत कराया कि वह प्रदूषण रोकने के लिए एक अध्यादेश लाया है और यह लागू हो चुका है। नए कानून के मुताबिक सुप्रीम कोर्ट द्वारा नियुक्त निकाय ईपीसीए को भंग कर दिया गया है और उसके द्वारा उठाए गए कदम पर अध्यादेश के संबंधित प्रावधानों के तहत कदम उठाए जाएंगे। ईपीसीए का 1998 में गठन हुआ था। ईपीसीए दो सदस्यीय निकाय था। इसके अध्यक्ष भुरेलाल और सुनीता नारायण सदस्य थीं। आयोग के एक अध्यक्ष भी होंगे। आयोग में दो पूर्णकालिक सदस्य होंगे जो केंद्र सरकार के संयुक्त सचिव होंगे। इसके अलावा 3 पूर्णकालिक स्वतंत्र तकनीकी सदस्य होंगे जिन्हें वायु प्रदूषण संबंधी वैज्ञानिक जानकारी होगी। केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड (सीपीसीबी) के एक तकनीकी सदस्य भी होंगे, तथा इसरो एक तकनीकी सदस्य को नामित करेगा। वायु प्रदूषण रोकने के संबंध में अनुभव रखने वाले एनजीओ के तीन सदस्य भी होंगे। आयोग सहयोगी सदस्यों को भी नियुक्त कर सकता है। आयोग में निगरानी और पहचान, सुरक्षा और प्रवर्तन तथा अनुसंधान और विकास में प्रत्येक से एक-एक के साथ तीन उप कमेटी होंगी। आयोग के अध्यक्ष तीन साल तक या 70 साल उम्र होने तक पद पर रहेंगे। आयोग के पास वायु (प्रदूषण रोकथाम और नियंत्रण) कानून 1981, और पर्यावरण (संरक्षण) कानून 1986 जैसे मौजूदा कानूनों के तहत निवारण के लिए मामलों का स्वत: संज्ञान लेने, शिकायतों पर सुनवाई, आदेश जारी करने का अधिकार होगा। (भाषा)

Late Diwali makes crackers more toxic

A late Kali Puja and Diwali this year means the air quality that day could be more toxic than previous years as pollutants released from firecrackers will float in cool air for a longer duration, air quality management specialists have warned. If firecrackers are burst indiscriminately this year, too, the effect on the air quality will be far more severe, the specialists said. Kali Puja and Diwali fall on November 14 this year. Last year, Diwali was on October 28 and Kali Puja the day before. Air quality management experts have urged the authorities to widely publicise the need to refrain from bursting firecrackers. If people are not aware, no regulatory body can enforce the ban on the bursting of illegal firecrackers, they said. The Covid-19 pandemic has made it all the more necessary to prevent a spurt in air pollution during Diwali, the experts pointed out. Doctors said inhaling toxic air could affect the functioning of the lungs. K. Srinath Reddy, the president of the Public Health Foundation of India, said: “The innate immunity of a person decreases in cold weather. It makes people more vulnerable to infections. Inhaling pollutants released by firecrackers can cause inflammation. If the novel coronavirus infects such a person, the likelihood of de-veloping complications is more.” Reddy, also a member of the National Task Force on Covid-19 management, called for “a smoke free Diwali and Kali Puja”. Anupam Debsarkar, a professor at Jadavpur University’s civil engineering department, who specialises in environmental engineering, explained why pollutants lingered in the air for a longer duration in winter. “During winter, the surface temperature is lower than other seasons. As a result, the air close to the ground is also cooler. Cool air is heavy and it stays close to the ground, instead of rising. The pollutants released by human activities remain trapped close to the ground as the cool, heavy air does not move away quickly.” During summer the warm air closer to ground rises and cooler air fills the vacuum. Because of the air circulation, the pollutants get dispersed in summer, something that does not happen in winter, said Debsarkar. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, the executive director of New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said “the levels of PM2.5 reach 10 to 15 times the permissible limit in Calcutta immediately after Kali Puja and Diwali every year”. PM2.5 are tiny particulate matters that can go deep inside the lungs and disrupt their functioning. Prolonged exposure to PM2.5 can lead to severe diseases, including cancer, doctors said. An official of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board told Metro that they were not being able to raid firecracker factories like previous years because of the Covid pandemic. “The raids have been fewer this year. But we have information that firecrackers are being manufactured in lesser numbers in our state. We are not sure though about the level of production in Tamil Nadu’s Sivakashi and China,” said the official. “Apart from the locally manufactured ones, a lot of firecrackers that are sold in Bengal are made in Sivakasi and China.” Reddy said he apprehended crowding during Diwali, which could further increase the risk of the spread of Covid-19. “As cold air takes longer to disperse, crowding will mean clouds of the novel coronavirus released by an infected person would float for a prolonged period. Even in an outdoor environment, the risks of getting infected will remain,” added Reddy.

Delhi: Why your app may show ‘clean’ air when you can’t even breathe

New Delhi: A resident of Karol Bagh in west Delhi keen on pollution information has to walk a few kilometres to the nearest air quality monitoring station on Mandir Marg. The same station also provides the pollution data for Connaught Place, Sadar Bazar and Paharganj, though each place has differing sources of localised pollutants. Residents of east Delhi’s Mayur Vihar, Patparganj, Laxmi Nagar and Geeta Colony too rely on the DPCC air quality monitoring station at Patparganj though the air quality is different in each neighbourhood. This lack of resources at the hyperlocal level is, according to experts, a crucial lacunae in the capital’s expanded pollution monitoring setup. When TOI tried to gauge air pollution readings in different localities, it found localised data hard to come by, with the nearest air monitoring station often several kilometres away from a neighbourhood. Janakpuri in west Delhi currently rely on an air station at NSIT, Dwarka, and south Delhi’s Vasant Vihar and Vasant Kunj on the station at IGI Airport. Ambee, an environmental intelligence company measuring real-time air quality data at the postcode level using onground sensors and a combination of American and European satellites, felt that local sources of pollution may not be possible through fixed monitors and hyper-local monitoring was necessary. “Traditional monitors are unable to offer neighbourhood- or street-level data and so fail to provide a complete picture of air quality in the immediate surroundings,” said Akshay Joshi, CEO and co-founder, Ambee. “Hyperlocal air quality monitoring makes a difference by providing granular level data to help people make informed decisions, say, a longer but noticeably cleaner route while driving or the right time and path for jogging.” The company said specific factors like dust due to construction, traffic and population density make hyper-local data more accurate, while also allowing government agencies a chance to act on such micro sources of pollution. When analysing the Ambee data, TOI realised AQI could vary 20-30 points within neighbourhoods barely kilometres apart. Golf Links in central Delhi recorded an average PM2.5 level of 142 micrograms per cubic metre (accepted standard level is 60 micrograms) in a 24-hour period between October 26 and 27. In the same period, Rohini recorded a PM2.5 average of 207 micrograms per cubic metre, while Ghazipur’s reading was 210 micrograms. Ronak Sutaria, CEO, Respirer Living Sciences, pointed out that low-cost sensors and monitors generally cost 150th the cost of an ambient air quality monitoring station, with the accuracy levels generally varying by around 10%. However, he added that the right balance of ambient air quality monitoring stations and low-cost sensors could help a city develop a dense network of monitors. “Generally, it is the citizens, not the monitoring body, that need the information at the hyper-local level,” Sutaria noted. “For CPCB, the 36 stations in Delhi are sufficient for long-term data collection. But the local pollution control board can benefit by using hyper-local monitoring to identify local sources of pollution.” Sutaria said that there should ideally be a monitoring station or sensor every 1 sq km. Meanwhile, Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, believed that standardisation of low-cost sensors was necessary before they could be deployed to measure the exposure to pollution at the ground level. “Long-term ambient air quality monitoring is important and that is what these ambient air quality monitors do,” she explained.

Noida’s air quality improves, though still in very poor category

Meteorological conditions a day earlier helped improve the air of Noida and Ghaziabad on Wednesday, but Greater Noida’s dipped. Noida breathed the cleanest air since the past week for a while but as the wind speed dropped, the quality dropped again. According to the weather analysts, it’s only between October 30 and November 1 that the wind speed will rise again thereby improving the air quality. “The wind speed on Wednesday was low and around 6 to 8 kilometre per hour (kmph), however on Tuesday it was moderate at a speed of 18 to 20 kmph that had its effect today as well. This is the major reason that the air quality improved on Wednesday as well because the pollutants were dispersed. However, as the wind speed is set to drop, the pollutants may aggregate again,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, head, regional weather forecasting centre, India Meteorological Department (IMD). According to the data from Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), the air quality index (AQI) of Noida, on a scale of 0 to 500, was 301 against 320 a day earlier and 376 before that. The AQI for Greater Noida also saw improvement from 332 a day earlier to 324 on Wednesday. The AQI of Ghaziabad however dropped from 306 a day earlier to 317 on Wednesday. “The improvement is remarkable however it’s due to the meteorological conditions a day earlier. The wind speed helped with the dispersion of pollutant both PM2.5 and PM10,” said Shambhavi Shukla, program officer, air pollution, centre for science and environment (CSE).

DG sets are banned under the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) implemented from October 15 to tackle air pollution from slipping to ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ category during winter months Earlier this week, Epca chairman Bhure Lal directed the Haryana pow

दिल्ली में साल 2019 में PM10 के स्तर में 2016 की तुलना में 25% और PM2.5 में 19% की कमी दर्ज की गई थी. मगर न तो इन दो प्रमुख वायु प्रदूषकों की गिरावट की गति और न ही राष्ट्रीय स्वच्छ वायु कार्यक्रम (National Clean Air Programme) के तहत मौजूदा लक्ष्य 2024 तक शहर की हवा को सांस लेने योग्य बनाने के लिए पर्याप्त है. NCAP ने पार्टिकुलेट मैटर के स्तर को कम करने का लक्ष्य रखा है. एनसीएपी (NSAP) ने साल 2017 के वायू प्रदूषण (Air Pollution) के स्तर से लेकर 2024 तक – पीएम 2.5 और पीएम 10 के स्तर को 20-30% तक कम करने का लक्ष्य निर्धारित किया है, लेकिन अगर दिल्ली (Delhi) अपने इस लक्ष्य को पूरा कर भी लेती है, तो भी इन खतरनाक प्रदूषकों का स्तर राष्ट्रीय परिवेश वायु गुणवत्ता मानकों की तुलना में काफी अधिक ही होगा. सभी प्रदूषकों जैसे पीएम, सल्फर डाइऑक्साइड और नाइट्रोजन ऑक्साइड में PM2.5 तक होता है, जो सबसे खतरनाक माना जाता है. ये सभी प्रदूषक फेफड़ों में गहराई से प्रवेश कर सांस संबंधी परेशानियों को विकसित करते हैं. केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड (Central Pollution Control Board) के आंकड़ों के अनुसार, 2019 में वार्षिक औसत PM 2.5,.. 40 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर (/g / m3) के राष्ट्रीय परिवेश वायु गुणवत्ता मानक के दोगुने से अधिक था, जबकि पीएम 10 का स्तर तीन गुने से अधिक था. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (Centre for Science and Environment) की कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमिता रॉयचौधरी ने कहा, ‘राष्ट्रव्यापी वायु गुणवत्ता मानक (national ambient air quality standards nationwide) को पूरा करने में सक्षम होने के लिए, हमें NCAP और शहरों में स्वच्छ वायु कार्य योजनाओं के कार्यान्वयन के लिए एक मजबूत अनुपालन और निवारक ढांचे की आवश्यकता है’.उसने कहा, “अपशिष्ट प्रबंधन के लिए बिजली और इंडस्ट्री सेक्टर, ट्रांसपोर्ट सेक्टर, क्लीन फ्यूल मूल्य निर्धारण और नगरपालिका रिफॉर्म में समयबद्ध सुधारों पर ध्यान देना अधिक महत्वपूर्ण है’. दिल्ली में प्रमुख प्रदूषकों के स्तर में लॉकडाउन के दौरान काफी कमी आई है, मगर अनलॉक के कारण आर्थिक गतिविधियों के शुरु होने के चलते ये स्थिति ज्यादा दिन तक सामान्य नहीं रहेगी. प्रदूषण के विभिन्न स्रोतों जैसे निर्माण कार्य और इमारत ढहाए जाने के बाद धूल का उड़ना, बायोमास जलना, इंडस्ट्रियल और वाहन से बड़ी मात्रा में प्रदूषक पदार्थों का निकलना, ये सारी गतिविधियां मुश्किलें खड़ी कर सकती है.

How To Not Waste A Crisis

Pollution mitigation is a matter of necessity and not choice. How to sustain the air quality gains post-Covid pandemic is a big challenge. By Anumita Roychowdhury This unprecedented public health emergency and economic disruption due to the raging COVID-19 pandemic have given us a new prism to understand the air pollution -challenge and its solutions. With vehicles off the road, -factories closed and construction activities halted, we have collectively observed the quick healing and rapid reduction in pollution. We have understood the scale of change that is needed to make the skies blue, and the air and lungs clean. While air quality has improved by default, the systems needed to sustain the air quality gains are under severe economic stress. This has made linking of postpandemic recovery with pollution mitigation a matter of necessity and not choice. Yet, there is not enough conversation on green recovery. With the economy reopening, the -‘retaliatory emissions’ are bound to increase as is already evident. This casts shadow on the viability of meeting the National Clean Air Programme (NACP) target of -reducing particulate pollution by 20-30 per cent by 2024 or meet the tougher target of national ambient air quality -standards nation-wide. What lessons do we draw from this disruption and -unintended experiment to shape the future action for clean air? This crisis cannot go waste Clean air action has to move quickly beyond the city limit to clean up the air shed of the larger region. Clean blue sky during the lockdown was possible because the regional -influence on local air quality could also be minimised. But the vast majority of the122 non-attainment cities -implementing multi-sector clean air plans under NCAP are small municipalities or industrial areas—just small specks in the air shed. This virtually amounts to hotspot pollution management without much regional impact. Moreover, effective clean-up needs a clear strategy for green recovery across all sectors. In the power sector, close to 70 per cent of coal power plants cannot meet the new emissions standards by 2022. How can clean air targets be met when coal power plants are responsible for over 60 per cent of particulate emissions, 45 per cent of sulphur -dioxide, 30 per cent of nitrogen oxides and over 80 per cent of mercury emissions from the industrial sector? Even though the new -economic recovery package for the power sector has -supported the cash-strapped power distribution -companies, this is not linked to sector reforms for more fund flow to enable a quicker uptake of emissions control systems, or to make these -projects more bankable or catalyse quicker retirement of old plants. The command-and-control -approach must also combine -incentives. Adopt first-run policy so that only those plants that meet the emission standards are allowed to sell power. Co-join this with cleaner fuels—gas power or renewable power trajectory. The -Covid-induced -economic -disruption showed the scale of change needed to make skies blue, and air and lungs clean. Moreover, economic recovery measures to support the energy sector also threaten to worsen -industrial pollution. Ease of doing business in the coal sector will bring cheap and low-quality coal, and increase industrial coal consumption in the small and medium-scale units. It will be harder for these units to install emission-control systems. Clearly, the post-pandemic recovery requires a clean -industrial fuel strategy. But cleaner natural gas cannot compete with cheaper coal as coal is taxed lower under GST. But natural gas is outside GST and loaded with state taxes. Bring natural gas under GST and reduce its tax -burden. Remove coal from open general licensing so that imports can be regulated and its use can be monitored. It is also clear that post-pandemic clean air action will be deeply affected by system failures. This is starkly evident in the transportation sector, which is already plagued by -enormous infrastructure deficit. Public transport systems have collapsed during lockdown due to the fear of contagion. Evidence from 14 state road transport undertakings -surveyed by UITP (International Association of Public Transport) shows 90 per cent reduction in ridership from the pre-Covid level with net losses escalating by 48 per cent. Viability gap-funding requirement from the -government has increased by 69 per cent for bus transport agencies. Urban India has only 48,000 buses when it needs at least 188,500 buses. How can bus transport recover -without reform-based bailout packages to meet higher level of ambition in clean air action plans? Similarly, mobility policies will have to be nimble enough to respond to the growing public interest in -walking and -cycling as contact--free travel, and also institutionalise the grand -experiment with -working from home to reduce travel requirements and emissions. Overall, curbing of vehicular emissions can be a challenge if the stimulus policies do not counter industry pushback on tighter real world emissions regulations linked with BSVI standards and commitment to a roadmap for at least 30-40 per cent electrification by 2030. Going forward, the biggest -hangover from the pre-pandemic era will be the lack of strategy and weak institutional capacity to curb pollution from all streams of waste—municipal and industrial waste and fugitive dust. The -current obsession with spot-fixing approach of inspection to find waste, removing and shifting waste does not work as there are no -systemic answers to where to take the waste, what to do with it, where is the infrastructure for recycling and material -recovery. Same is the challenge of the seasonal crop -residue burning. At the onset of the winter pollution, therefore, while we are seeking speed of action for emergency response to -winter smog episodes, it is clear that the big answers are possible only if deep-rooted reforms in industry, power plant, transportation, waste and household sectors are linked with green economic recovery and affordable clean energy access. This requires deeper community awareness and strong political support.

India's capital chokes on 'severe' smog as farm fires soar

New Delhi was blanketed in noxious haze Friday as air pollution levels in parts of the city soared to "severe" levels, hours after US President Donald Trump described the air in the vast nation as "filthy". Smoke from agricultural burning, vehicle fumes and industrial emissions -- combined with cooler temperatures and slow-moving winds that trap pollutants over the city -- turns air in the Indian capital into a toxic soup every winter. The air quality index at Delhi's 36 pollution monitoring sites -- which monitors tiny PM2.5 and PM10 particles that get into the bloodstream and vital organs -- was between 282 and 446, pushing levels into the "severe" category, the Central Pollution Control Board said. The "good" category is between 0-50, the government's environmental watchdog added. A "significant increase in stubble fire count" to 1,213 in Haryana and Punjab states was the highest of this season and made up 17 percent of Delhi's PM2.5 levels, the state-run System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research added Friday. "Further deterioration of (air quality) is expected for the two days," SAFAR said. This season's burning started earlier because of advanced sowing and harvesting by farmers amid fears of labour shortages during the coronavirus pandemic, officials said. The worsening conditions came as Trump complained that action on climate change was unfair to the US. "Look at China, how filthy it is. Look at Russia, look at India -- it's filthy. The air is filthy," Trump said at his presidential debate with Democratic rival Joe Biden. Scientists warned this year's pollution season would make Delhi's 20 million residents more vulnerable to the coronavirus. "Air pollution increases the risk of noncommunicable diseases -- the same underlying conditions that make people more likely to experience severe illness or death from Covid-19," epidemiologist Sumi Mehta from global non-profit Vital Strategies told AFP. Healthcare systems, stretched by the pandemic, could be further stressed by more hospitalisations from pollutionrelated illnesses, researchers added. "There are serious worries that during winter when higher air pollution levels in any case worsens respiratory illness and increases hospitalisation, the vulnerability to Covid-19 may be further enhanced," Anumita Roy Chowdhury of the Delhibased Centre for Science and Environment told AFP. The chief medical officer of Gurugram city near New Delhi, Virender Yadav, told The Times of India Thursday some recovering Covid-19 patients were experiencing a reoccurence of respiratory conditions triggered by the heightened air pollution.

Clean air experts want government to focus on enforcing existing laws to deal with air pollution

The Centre’s new law to deal with the issue of air pollution in Delhi-NCR is likely to be similar to the US Clean Air Act which empowers the country’s federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take effective action to ensure clean air, said officials privy to the development while flagging how “multiplicity of authorities” have been creating problems at every stage right from taking mitigation measures to enforcement. “The success of this model of creating a powerful permanent body for one airshed (Delhi-NCR) may be replicated for other regions (airsheds) in due course,” said an official, even as clean air experts and environmentalists questioned the move when the country already has two laws to deal with the problem. “Both the State and Centre has enough powers under existing laws, the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to take preventive and remedial measures to deal with air pollution,” said Ritwick Dutta, environment lawyer. Dutta, founder of Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE), believes that the new law would create confusion when the country has adequate backing from existing laws to deal with the problem. “The multiplicity of laws and institutions will create more confusion on the one hand and friction on the other. There will be a tendency to pass on the blame - that is exactly what we see today. Between the Supreme Court, EPCA, NGT, CPCB and SPCB no one is clear as to what needs to be done,” he said. Other experts too do not appear to be keen on new law at this juncture unless the Centre goes for reforms in various sectors including power, transport and industry to deal with the sources of pollution. “A new law is long-term (measures). It's more urgent to leverage powers and authority conferred under current legislations, build institutional capacity, and address infrastructure deficit to scale up implementation across all sectors and regions,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Another clean air expert Sunil Dahiya, in fact, flagged a number of regulatory issues which, he said, could not be enforced despite backed by existing laws. “The coal-based power plants are still operating illegally in non-compliance of emission standard notification of 2015. The national urban transport policy, 2006 clearly mentions prioritisation of road space utilization. Similarly, waste management rules exist, but it’s still a big issue. These are just a few examples of non-implementation of existing legislations. So, how do we think that having a new legislation without any actual implementation will solve the purpose?” Dutta believes if the government is keen to resolve the issue, it must undertake a thorough review of the various laws and institutions in order to look at their efficacy and utility. “It must have detailed consultation with all relevant stakeholders, especially those outside Delhi which includes farmer groups and small-scale industries and the public at large,” he said.

Centre promises law to check stubble burning

The Centre will bring in a law, via ordinance, to address air pollution as well as check stubble burning in Delhi as well as the surrounding National Capital Region, the Supreme Court was informed on Monday. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Court that a draft legislation would be ready this week following which the Court suspended its earlier decision to have a one-man committee led by former Justice Madan Lokur to monitor stubble burning, exacerbating the region’s noxious air. “The new law is for tackling air pollution in NCR and adjoining areas. It’s an ordinance,” Secretary in the Ministry of Environment R.P. Gupta told The Hindu. However, there appeared to be no consultation so far with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) regarding the proposed legislation. With an increase in stubble burning — the burning of rice straw by farmers to clear their fields for winter sowing in Punjab and Haryana — the MoA has in recent years been tasked with funding the use of subsidised combine harvesters and other machinery to dissuade farmers from burning “The new ordinance is coming from the Environment Ministry and so far no consultations have been held with Agriculture Ministry officials,” said a person in the Minstry aware of inter-ministerial coordination activities to check stubble burning. The Delhi NCR already has a Graded Response Action Plan, which is overseen by the Environment Pollution Authority, that has specified a number of measures that governments must take — from banning diesel gensets to restricting vehicle movement — depending on the degree of pollution. To check stubble burning this kharif (summer) season, the Punjab government has appointed 8,000 nodal officers in villages that grow paddy. Over 23,000 crop residue management machines are being given to farmers for on-site management of straw. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh last week appealed to farmers not to burn crop residue because the practice could aggravate the conditions leading to the spread of COVID-19, besides causing pollution. He said the State was taking measures to sensitise the farmers to the problem and it had been pressing the Centre to give ₹100 per quintal to farmers for managing the paddy straw without burning it. However, Executive Director, Centre for Science and Environment Anumita Roychowdhury said new legislation was not the need of the hour. “We don't yet know what this proposed law will be about. There are strong laws in place for checking pollution but inadequate infrastructure at the level of State and municipal bodies to implement them. The existing laws could be sharpened no doubt. But what we need now is better enforcement,” she told The Hindu. With the monsoon withdrawing and winter-conditions setting in, air quality in the Delhi-NCR has been deteriorating since last week and dipped to 'poor and very poor' on the air quality index. According to forecasting system, SAFAR, maintained by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the contribution of stubble burning to the worsening air quality was 16% on Monday relative to other sources such as road dust, vehicular emissions and industrial activities. Pollutants from straw burning are brought in by the wind. Instances of burning, or fire counts, as they are called and tracked via satellite, have increased in the last few weeks and increased to nearly 1,200 as of Monday. Central Pollution Control Board officials have said adverse meteorological conditions — a drop in wind speed and lowering of the mixing height (at which pollutants disperse), led to pollutants remaining trapped in the air.

Haryana seeks genset exemption till November 30 for Gurugram

The Haryana power department has sought exemption on the usage of diesel generator (DG) sets for 19 residential societies in Gurugram and Faridabad till November 30, along with the exclusion of Information Technology (IT) companies in Gurugram. On Monday, the department submitted its final take on the diesel genset ban, as directed by the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority (Epca). The decision on the November 30 deadline for residential societies and IT industry has been taken by the officials after consultation with Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday. On Monday, Trilok Chand Gupta, additional chief secretary, power department, wrote to Bhure Lal, chairman, Epca, in this regard. A copy of the letter was accessed by HT. In the letter, Gupta said that the ban on diesel genset has been reviewed in detail by the chief minister on October 23, along with departments concerned, including the environment department. “All the issues have been resolved, only in 19 cases, the exemption is sought for maximum up to November 30,” reads the letter. The detailed affidavits of these 19 residential societies in Gurugram and Faridabad have already been sent to the Epca. These societies lack regular electricity connection and are dependent upon diesel generator sets. In their affidavits, colony developers have given four to five different timelines to reach the final process of getting electricity connections. The steps to be taken include the application for a tender, submission of bank guarantee, land and facility to set up the power substation to finally switch from DG set to regular connection. DG sets are banned under the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) implemented from October 15 to tackle air pollution from slipping to ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ category during winter months Earlier this week, Epca chairman Bhure Lal directed the Haryana power department to submit a comprehensive affidavit on the power supply to societies still reliant on diesel genset. For the exemption, Epca asked the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Limited (HVPNL) to fix a time frame for residential societies to get the regular power connection. The state has also sought an exemption for IT companies, to allow operation of diesel generator sets as a secondary source of power in case of disruption in supply. “Representatives from Nasscom {National Association of Software and Service Companies} have given a presentation on their issue as these industries run on servers which cannot afford to have a power break of a second,” said Gupta. According to him, these companies will prepare a logbook of DG sets used by them when there is a disruption in the regular electricity supply. “If the IT companies are not considered for an exemption then these companies will have to look for an alternative back up source, like large-size invertors. Otherwise, the department will have to enforce the ban,” said Gupta. Sunita Narain, an environmentalist and Epca member, confirmed that a letter has been received from the Haryana government. She said, “In case of IT companies, they want diesel genset as a backup option. But our question is — how will they manage it? The backup could also become a primary source of power. The issue was raised last year too. A discussion on the societies requiring exemption will be held after going through the detailed affidavits submitted by them.”

Rising pollution, Covid cases a double whammy for Delhi

Rising pollution levels in Delhi-NCR amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has worsened people’s woes. Several experts are concerned that these high pollution levels might aggravate the spread of the coronavirus. Due to the coronavirus lockdown, residents of the national capital had experienced cleaner and fresh air. It’s not unknown that the national capital has been consistently ranked among the world’s most polluted cities. Delhi is recording severe Air Quality Index (AQI) almost every day. Several studies have pointed out that Covid-19 deaths occur due to long-term exposure to “urban air pollution”. In early October, air quality in Delhi slipped to the “poor” category for the first time in three months. The Delhi government has already started taking the necessary steps to reduce air pollution level in Delhi. On Wednesday, Environment Minister Gopal Rai inaugurated the “Red Light On, Gaadi Off” campaign as part of the state government’s “Yuddh Pradushan Ke Viruddh” (War Against Pollution) initiative. As it is well-known that stubble burning in adjoining states contribute the most to the cities’ rising pollution levels, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Environment Minister Gopal Rai have also kick-started the scheme to covert stubble into compost and avoid the practice of burning it. According to reports, as many as 7,105 stubble burning cases have been reported in various parts of Punjab till 19 October 2020. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, Executive Director Research and Advocacy, CSE, told The Sunday Guardian: “We know from our past experience that winter pollution is always severe in Delhi and northern India. This winter, in the next few weeks, the levels are going up and the signs are already there. In the winter, we expect to have a huge impact on the respiratory system of the people as this time it’s a double whammy. At one point, the respiratory health will deteriorate for a large vulnerable population due to air pollution and at the same time when your lungs are weak, the risk of catching the Covid infection also increases. This is what the doctors are telling us now. We are worried about this.” She said that due to rising levels of pollutions levels the number of coronavirus cases might also increase in winter. “We need to minimise the exposure to pollution as much as we can. There has to be very stringent actions because at this moment, we are looking at short-term measures. There has to be zero-tolerance for any kind of violation,” Chowdhury said. Asked about how the people can protect themselves, Anumita Roy Chowdhury told The Sunday Guardian: “We are looking at two kinds of protection. One kind of protection exists against the Covid infection and we know that we need to follow guidelines very rigorously with absolute discipline. We have to wear our masks when we go out, we have to follow social distancing norms, etc. That’s absolutely essential as far as prevention against Covid infection is concerned. But at the same time, we will have to take measures to reduce our overall pollution exposure. That means, we have to avoid going out when the pollution levels are high. We need to be responsible citizens and make sure that wastes are not burnt in our neighbourhoods. We need to put pressure on municipalities to implements rules.” It is noteworthy that health problems like heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and high blood pressure that is generally caused due to air pollution, have been identified as the pre-existing medical conditions that raise the chances of death from Covid-19 infection. Emerging research, including a study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has now suggested that breathing more polluted air over many years may itself worsen the effects of Covid-19. The Harvard study is one of several that have now suggested that air pollution is affecting Covid-19 mortality. Researchers analysing 120 cities in China found a significant relationship between air pollution and Covid-19 infection, and of the coronavirus deaths across 66 regions in Italy, Spain, France and Germany, 78% of them occurred in five of the most polluted regions. Meanwhile, there’s also evidence from previous outbreaks like SARS, which was also a coronavirus, as well as many other respiratory infections including influenza, that breathing more polluted air increased risks of death. Another study by Harvard University study shows that an increase of only one microgram per cubic metre in PM 2.5—dangerous tiny pollutants in the air—is associated with an 8% increase in the Covid-19 death rate. Another similar study by scientists at the UK’s University of Cambridge also found a link between the severity of Covid-19 infection and long-term exposure to air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides and ground-level ozone from car exhaust fumes or burning of fossil fuels. According to reports, the PM2.5 levels in Delhi have averaged around 180-300 micrograms per cubic metre in recent weeks and this is 12 times higher than the WHO’s safe limits. Delhi-NCR is battling with two massive health challenges that are both targeting the respiratory system and rising at the same time.

Delhi: What did the Covid-19 lockdown teach scientists about controlling pollution levels?

In April, amidst the economic distress caused by the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Delhi residents noticed a rare phenomenon: blue skies. As econonomic activity ground to a halt, most factories stayed shut, construction projects were suspended and there were barely any vehicles on the streets. As a consequence, most of the sources that scientists had identified as causing atmospheric pollution in the Capital declined sharply. This transformed the city – among the most polluted in the world – into a giant, real-life laboratory for researchers. Said MP George, a scientist at Delhi Pollution Control Committee: “It is the rarest set of data that policy makers and standard makers can use.” So what did researchers learn from the low pollution levels during the summer lockdown? And as levels rise again, already hitting the “severe” mark on the weekend, what can this research tell us about developing strategies to control pollution and manage risk? What the data shows Over the years, there have been several studies about the poor air quality in Delhi. Sources of pollutants in the city range from “vehicles, re-suspended dust, industrial activities, burning of coal, dung and wood for cooking and heating...” noted a recent paper in Current Science. “Crop burning and dust storms on seasonal basis also contribute significantly to extreme pollution events.” In 2016, a study by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, showed that vehicular emissions mainly from trucks were one of the largest, most consistent sources of pollution in the city. The study also noted that in the summer, coal and fly ash contributes 30% of the the city’s PM 10 pollutants – particulate matter of size up to 10 microns. These particles come from coal-fired power plants as well as from tandoors. Soil and road dust contri Particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (or about a ten-thousandth of an inch) is particularly dangerous to human health. Such particles are small enough to travel deep into the respiratory system, potentially impariting lung function. To be considered safe, the National Ambient Air Quality Standards require PM 2.5 concentration be less than 60 micrograms per cubic metre of air in any given 24 hour period. For this article, Scroll.in focussed on four air-quality monitoring stations spread around Delhi – RK Puram in South Delhi, Anand Vihar in East Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Central Delhi and Jahangirpuri in North West Delhi. All four stations are monitored by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, an autonomous body under the Delhi government. The monthly averages of PM 2.5 and PM 10 for each month from January till May were considered. The low pollution levels during this period were not just a result of the lockdown, experts said: a higher wind speed and other meteorological conditions also played a role. The charts below, show that levels of particulate matter levels had actually started to decline from January before lockdown and then stayed at nearly consistent levels between March and May. For instance, all four stations recorded low levels in March and these decreased gradually through April. Three stations, except for RK Puram, recorded the lowest PM 2.5 levels in April with a slight increase in the beginning of May. During lockdown, pollutants declined by 85% to 90%, according to the paper published in Current Science on October 10. The study was conducted after the lockdown was imposed in March, and continued through April and May. The 11 authors of the study were drawn from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Indian Meteorological Department and Utkal University in Bhubaneshwar. With virtually all major sources of pollutant emissions halted, the prolonged lockdown offered the researchers a unique opportunity to estimate the “baseline concentration” of various pollutants in the Capital, they wrote. This is the level of pollutants produced due to natural sources and stays steady in the absence of any additional sources of emissions. Because the lockdown was nationwide, pollution from other places that floated into Delhi was minimum. This kind of emissions situation had not been available before for researchers to study. The information helps researchers understand the lowest levels of pollution levels possible in Delhi and will help formulate policies to use these levels as the standard to target. This data is crucial as it helps define the national ambient air quality standards, said George, who is one of the authors of the paper. Rising ozone levels Curiously, the study found that while levels of primary pollutants were low, the levels of ozone in the atmosphere had increased. Another study conducted from January 2019 till May 2020 by the Centre for Science and Environment found a similar trend in rising ozone levels even as it recorded low levels of pollution during the summer months. “During February-May, at least on 23 days, ozone has emerged as the dominant pollutant,” the study said. “These are the early signs of a dangerous trend.” Doctors say that ozone is dangerous for the patients with respiratory ailments and could worsen heart disease. Why did this happen? “That is the complex chemistry,” said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director of the Centre for Science and Environment. Despite most industrial activities coming to a halt, gases were still being released in the air, particularly nitrogen dioxide and some volatile organic compounds, Chowdhury explained. “Once these gases are in the air then they react with each other under the influence of sunlight,” she said. “That forms ozone.” George explained that the ozone levels increased with rising temperatures and a reduction in dust concentrations. “There was no dust, otherwise we have a blessing in disguise that the ultraviolet rays get filtered out because of it,” he said. “Here, what happened, because of lockdown, the dust was gone so we got more ozone.” Finding solutions For Delhi to lower the pollution levels, the problem must be considered at a regional level rather than at the state level, both experts said. “We are in the disadvantaged location,” said George. “We are landlocked and located on the Indo-Gangetic plane which means high dust. We have to talk about airshed-based management. There is no other way.” The airshed approach considers “the entire area over which the pollutants disperse due to meteorological and geographical factors”. Chowdhury added that Delhi had to do a lot more to control the pollution from transport and waste management sectors. “Delhi has not yet been able to figure out how to reduce the volume of traffic and that is because of the gap in the public transport and infrastructure,” she said. The air quality in Delhi gets worse during the winter. One of the major causes of this is the burning of crop stubble in neighbouring states such as Haryana and Punjab. This smoke coupled with falling temperatures and decreasing wind speeds create the conditions for Delhi to become a gas chamber. Delhi’s Graded Response Action Plan formulated in 2017 requires specific measures to be taken in case pollution breaches certain levels. For instance, construction comes to a halt, diesel generators are not allowed to run and vehicular movement is restricted. “Normally every winter we do the odd-even, intensify public transport services but this winter it will be tough to do that because of social distancing,” said Chowdhury, referring to the programme that allows vehicles with odd-numbered licence plates on the road on dates with odd numbers and those with even-numbered plates on others.

Six things govt did to control pollution, but how effective were they?

With Delhi facing an impending air crisis -- a glimpse of which the city got on Friday when the air quality plunged to ‘severe’ levels in at least 12 of the 35 pollution monitoring stations -- the Delhi government is scrambling to firefight the annual air problem. But it may be a case of “too little, too late”, say pollution experts. With the city’s air continuing to remain ‘very poor’ with a reading of 345 on the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)’s air quality index, the BJP and the Congress accused the AAP-led Delhi government of inaction. “We have asked the government to get the roads repaired, improve the public transport system and plan flyovers on congested road stretches,” said BJP MLA Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, leader of the opposition in the Delhi Assembly. Delhi Congress chief Anil Chaudhary pointed out that even with a lot of work left to be done to control local sources of pollution, the AAP government is busy pinning the blame on neighbouring states for stubble burning. “Stubble burning is only a component; we also have vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, unchecked construction activities and open burning,” Chaudhury said. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment, said for concrete results, agencies have to work round the year. “Last moment measures will not work. Winter action is only firefighting,” she said. HT takes a look at six steps taken by the Delhi government to control pollution and their effectiveness. Transplantation policy Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, earlier this month, had announced the tree transplantation policy, aimed at increasing the green cover and keeping better checks on construction agencies. But this was met with criticism from experts, who said transplantation seldom ensures survival of trees. Bharati Chaturvedi, founder and director, Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, said, “Which neighbourhood doesn’t need trees? The policy isn’t about saving trees, but the loss of several hundreds of trees from a neighbourhood.” ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign In a city where over 10 million vehicles are registered, vehicular emission control is crucial. Towards that end, the government launched the ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign, to get motorists to turn off the ignition while idling at traffic signals. Over 2,500 volunteers have been deployed at over 100 traffic signals to make the campaign a success. Anti-dust campaign Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai had announced stricter monitoring of construction sites across the city. All major sites, operating in an area over 2,000 sqm, were ordered to mandatorily install two antismog guns, for regular water sprinkling. Other measures such as covering the site by tin sheets and covering construction material with green covers have also been made mandatory.