Finding the real villain is not a very easy task, isn’t? It requires many logical facts to be judged properly. So collecting supporting facts is essential to reach to the truth point, and it is the role of an investigator or a detective. Let us explore towards finding the real villain behind the air pollution situation in Delhi, the capital territory of India.
Delhi-NCR for a few years faced a chronic air pollution crisis, especially during winter. This year Delhi-NCR experienced a severe air pollution crisis during the festivity of Diwali and still continuing. According to air quality index (AQI), Delhi crossed the ‘very poor’ range of situation and just slipped out to enter to ‘severe’ range of situation on air quality criterion.
AQI indicates the easy communicable index for reporting air quality on a daily basis which indicates how the local air quality impacts the people. It is measured on the basis of the presence of five major pollutants in the local air.
AQI standard marked ‘Good’ for 0-50 range, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor for 301-400 very poor 401-500 severe. Particulate matter (PM) is the suspended dust particles in the air known as an aerosol which is engulfed with different hazardous chemicals. The sizes of particulate matter in diameter vary from less than to inclusive of 2.5 micro meter known as PM 2.5; these are very fine inhalable particles.
On the other hand, PM10 varies from less than 10 to 10 micrometres. PM 2.5 penetrates to human lungs while inhaling air for breathing. From the lungs, it transmits to every part of the body and causes ischemic heart, asthma, brain stroke, heart attack even the most terrible evil disease of human society, cancer. Other creatures are also suffered equally. No doubt Delhites health condition is endangered. Especially over aged, babies and infants are vulnerable. The territory’s sky is overcast with a thick blanket of smog. It starts after the end of monsoon till the onset of winter every year. It turns to acute during winter.
Now the question is why Delhi-NCR is mostly affected compared to other metropolitans of India. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Delhi’s PM2.5 hit a peak of 603 micrograms per cubic meter at midnight of Diwali which is recorded as 13% higher than Diwali peaks in both 2022 and 20023. As per the Center for Science and Environment (CSE) report, on Diwali night and before, the presence of Nitrogen dioxide (No2) produced due to the combustion of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gasses in transportation soared to a higher level clearly indicates traffic congestion due to overcrowded of streets with vehicles. Despite all measures taken by Delhi authorities could not resist people from the rampant firing of crackers. Even authority could not prevent people from setting fire to Ravana's effigies on dushera. Besides, stubble fires from neighbouring states Haryana and Uttar Pradesh around Delhi are another source of the added layer of pollution driven by Northwesterly wind to overcast the Delhi sky with smoke.
No doubt all these separate facts are equally responsible for the air pollution of Delhi-NCR and played the role of culprits joining their hands to create such mischief for Delhites. It is recorded that Punjab accounted 80% stubble fire where as U.P. and Haryana accounted for 13% and 7% respectively.
Due to rapid industrialization in the North Circle region, Delhi receives a very high density of industrial emissions containing a high percentage of sulphur and carbon burns. Delhi’s geographical position is a big hindrance to escaping the polluted air. On the North side of Delhi, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh are situated. In the extreme North Jammu and Kashmir are situated. All these North states are Himalaya-attached territories. During winter, the heavy cold air from Himalayan territory comes down to Delhi and NCR. As heavy air comes down, the polluted air is trapped and becomes stagnant over Delhi-NCR. So, Delhi experiences dusk from late night to till next late morning during winter and it starts from November onwards.
As a preventive measure imposing restrictive rules is admissible, but mere restrictive rules cannot prevent human activities during festivity. Neither is justifiable for industries also. The major part of air pollutants of Delhi-NCR come from industrial sectors and farm burns from neighbouring states.
In order to resolve such a problem, industrial area concentration at Delhi-NCR may be diluted by spreading throughout India. Emissions from farm burns may also be prevented. How? The simple answer is by changing the crop pattern of Punjab and Haryana.
Prior to the green revolution, Punjab Haryana’s staple crop was not paddy, rather some native fruits, vegetables, pulses, oilseeds, maize, millet, cotton etceteras. Punjab being identified as the food bowl of India during the Green Revolution from mid-1960, The National Government of India motivated the farmers to produce paddy and wheat. The government declared hiked minimum support price (MSP) for paddy and wheat. Paddy is a high-watered product. Punjab, Haryana is in the dry belt, rainfall is low compared to eastern India. Farmers require excess water for paddy. Such excess water was dug out from ground soil as high-yield seeds require excess water and chemical fertilizer. As a premium, free electricity was also supplied to farmers. As a consequence, the underground water level was reduced, a serious problem evolved for these states. Punjab farmers for high productivity and MSP utilized their fields from April onwards which is the beginning of summer when the ground water level reduces. To overcome such a situation, the Punjab State Government imposed the “Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act 2009” which directed the sowing of paddy seeds for saplings not before 10th May and the transplanting of paddy beyond June 10th. As an implication of this law, the crop rotation of paddy changed. Since the crop rotation period of paddy is 120-130 days, the final products are harvested mid to end of August. After a month or two potatoes and wheat are required to be sowed, If it is delayed desired yield is hampered. Moreover, potatoes are attacked with blight. The gap period between paddy and the next product for sowing is short, so, to prepare the field for the next product farmers as easy means burn their agricultural waste as the wastes (hays) of high-yield crops are short in height and disliked cattle fodder. The smoke from stubble burn then is driven by North-West wind to the capital territory. Isn’t the negative effect of the green revolution?
Now the esteemed readers, perhaps we could identify a number of culprits, of course not inclusive but major in numbers. Now, what do you guess to identify the master planner as a villain? Is it rapid industrialization? Or the despairing attitude of Delhites? Changing of the crop rotation period of Punjab and Haryana? Or changing of crop pattern? Or all that green is not green?