Turning the Tide on Delhi’s Air Pollution

Turning the Tide on Delhi’s Air Pollution

Delhi, the capital of India, is notorious for being one of the most polluted cities in the world. The air quality in Delhi often reaches hazardous levels, especially during the winter months, when a combination of factors such as stubble burning, vehicular emissions, industrial activities, and meteorological conditions create a thick blanket of smog over the city. This has serious implications for the health and well-being of millions of residents, as well as the environment and the economy.

However, there is hope for Delhi to breathe cleaner air. In recent years, various initiatives and solutions have been implemented by the government, civil society, and individuals to tackle the air pollution problem. Some of these include:

Green War Room: A dedicated team of experts and officials that monitors and coordinates the actions taken by different agencies to reduce air pollution in Delhi. The Green War Room also tracks the complaints received through the Green Delhi app and ensures their timely resolution.

PUSA Bio-decomposer: A microbial solution developed by scientists at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) that helps farmers decompose crop residue in their fields without burning it. The Delhi government has provided free spraying of this solution to farmers in Delhi and neighboring states to prevent stubble burning, which is a major source of air pollution.

Smog Towers: Large structures that suck in polluted air and filter it through multiple layers of filters before releasing clean air. The first smog tower in India was installed at Connaught Place in Delhi in August 2021. It has a capacity to purify 1,000 cubic meters of air per second within a radius of one kilometer.

Anti-dust Campaign: A campaign to control dust pollution from construction sites, roads, and other sources. The campaign involves regular inspections, enforcement of dust control measures, use of water sprinklers, mechanized road sweeping machines, anti-smog guns, and sprinkling facilities on high-rise buildings.

E-waste Eco-park: A facility to recycle and dispose of electronic waste in an eco-friendly manner. The e-waste eco-park, which is being built in Delhi, will have a capacity to process 20 tons of e-waste per day. It will also generate employment and awareness about e-waste management.

Traffic Management: A strategy to reduce vehicular pollution by improving traffic flow, enforcing emission norms, promoting public transport and electric vehicles, and implementing odd-even scheme during peak pollution days. The government has also banned entry of non-essential trucks into Delhi and hired 1,000 private CNG vehicles to augment the public transport system.

These are some of the initiatives and solutions that are being implemented to turn the tide on Delhi’s air pollution. However, more efforts are needed from all stakeholders, including the central government, neighboring states, industries, civil society, and citizens, to ensure that Delhi can breathe easy.

This article based on current information and thoughts 💭 .