Days after Dussehra, when Ravana effigies were burned across Delhi and the ‘complete ban’ on firecrackers went unenforced, the capital found itself plunged into its familiar grey haze of toxic smog. On October 22, the air quality index (AQI) plummeted to 310—classified as “very poor.”
On October 14, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had implemented Stage I of its Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The CAQM, established in 2021 as a statutory body, oversees air quality management in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas. GRAP, which operates under the Environment Ministry, is an emergency response system triggered by poor air quality. It has four stages based on AQI thresholds: Stage I for “poor” air (201-300), Stage II for “very poor” (301-400), Stage III for “severe” (401-450), and Stage IV for “severe+” (above 450).
On October 22, the CAQM issued further orders for the implementation of Stage II of GRAP, which includes measures such as vacuum sweeping and water sprinkling of roads, inspection of construction sites and a ban on the use of coal, firewood and diesel generator sets. An 11-point action plan is to be implemented across the NCR that mandates the deployment of adequate personnel at traffic congestion points, discouraging private transport by hiking parking fees and increasing the frequency of bus and metro services. On the same day, Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced a series of anti-pollution measures. The minister said that another 1,800 traffic personnel will be positioned in 97 traffic congestion spots. Rai also added that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi will deploy another 6,200 workers to increase water spraying at pollution hotspots.
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In late September, Delhi had launched a 21-point Winter Action Plan to curb air pollution. According to Rai, drones, for the first time, will monitor air quality at Delhi’s pollution hotspots and a special task force will ensure enforcement of pollution control measures. The plan also includes an anti-dust campaign as well as emergency measures such as artificial rain and a vehicle rationing scheme.
One of the most contentious sources of pollution is stubble burning in neighbouring States such as Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. On October 16, the Supreme Court criticised Haryana and Punjab for failing to take action against individuals involved in crop burning, summoning their Chief Secretaries to the next hearing on October 23.
Political slugfest
As the lungs of the capital deteriorate, political parties seem to be passing the buck, especially as the Delhi State Assembly elections approach. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann reportedly said that the issue of stubble burning is not limited to any one State, it is the issue of the whole of northern India.
Delhi’s incumbent Chief Minister, Atishi criticised BJP’s ‘dirty politics’ for the increasing air and water pollution. She attributed the issue to the inefficiency of the BJP-ruled Haryana and Uttar Pradesh States, which failed to regulate stubble burning, worsening Delhi’s pollution levels. Citing reports from the Indian Agricultural Institute, Atishi said that while cases of farm fires in Punjab have dropped by 27 per cent, they have surged in the neighbouring States of Haryana and Punjab. “This clearly shows the dirty politics of the BJP. If the Punjab government can reduce parali (stubble) burning, why can’t the BJP governments in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh do it?”
On the other hand, BJP Delhi President Virendra Sachdeva said that Delhi is turning into a gas chamber and that the Atishi-led government has failed to address the primary causes of pollution. Caught in this political slugfest, it is the residents of Delhi who continue to suffer.
Rise in respiratory conditions
The impact on public health has been worrying. The number of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is rising day by day, says Amit Suri, Head of Respiratory Medicine, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. “Atmospheric pollution plays a major role in this,” he adds. “While COPD is usually associated with smokers, we’re also seeing non-smokers developing similar symptoms due to exposure to pollution.”
He has noticed an annual surge in patients with respiratory conditions as soon as winter sets in and especially after Diwali. “Many patients come to our chest OPD with symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath. Some have prolonged fever due to infections.” The hospital witnesses a 20 to 25 per cent spike in patients with respiratory problems post-Diwali when pollution peaks.
Children under five, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses or compromised immune systems are among the most vulnerable, says Suri. Those who are subject to prolonged outdoor exposure, such as auto rickshaw drivers, rickshaw pullers and traffic police are particularly at risk, he adds.
A ‘Pollution-Related Illness Clinic’ has been established at the hospital bringing together specialists in respiratory health, dermatology, ophthalmology, and psychiatry. “We have a list of some dos and don’ts: avoid going outdoors, especially early in the morning or after sunset; use an N95 mask rather than cloth or surgical masks; use air purifiers, and do not open car windows; use cleaner fuels and do not use charcoal or wood,” says Suri.
A street vendor selling balloons on New Year’s eve. New Delhi, December 31, 2023.
| Photo Credit:
SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
While some Delhi residents can take measures to shield themselves from pollution, others, like street vendors, who spend long hours outdoors, are particularly vulnerable. Arbind Singh, National Coordinator of the National Association of Street Vendors of India points out that while guidelines advise people to stay inside, vendors cannot afford to do so. “Even during peak pollution, there are vendors outside trying to earn their living.” Singh adds that street vendors lack health benefits. “In a city like Delhi, there is no access to Ayushman Bharat, so vendors cannot benefit from such schemes.” In his experience, vendors suffer from asthma and breathlessness after long hours on the streets.
Children, too, remain at high risk, especially when exposed to PM 2.5, one of the most dangerous components of Delhi’s air pollution. Aparajita Gautam, president of Delhi Parents Association, told Frontline, “After every Diwali, due to stubble burning and other reasons, there is a period of severe pollution and yet neither the Centre nor State governments do anything.”
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Last year, when Delhi’s AQI crossed the 450 mark, nearly 10 times the acceptable limit, schools were shut and classes held online, a trend that has persisted for the past few years. This not only disrupts education but also poses several logistical questions regarding the sustainability of shutting schools each time pollution levels rise. “If schools close, the authorities will inevitably switch to online classes, given that this is a crucial period to complete the syllabus. In their attempt to escape one challenge, they end up pushing the children into another,” says Gautam, underscoring the difficulties children face. “A report by AIIMS shows that there is an increase in myopia cases in children. What would five to six hours of screentime do to their eyes?” She adds that many children from lower-income families lack devices and stable Internet connections.
Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director of the Centre for Science and Environment, acknowledges that while pollution levels remain dire, the long-term trend shows an improvement. “Overall, the trend up to last year indicates that the annual average pollution has declined, with the curve not trending upwards.” She adds that long-term measures yielded the most benefits. “The Delhi government implemented CNG programmes for all its public and local commercial transport. It also banned fuels such as charcoal and furnace oil.”
However, Roychowdhury believes that the Winter Action Plan and the GRAP are only short-term interventions. “The GRAP is a more reactive measure, implemented only when pollution peaks. As it is a temporary solution, it fails to make a meaningful impact in the long term.”
