If winter comes, can spring be far behind goes the famous P.B. Shelley poem “Ode to the West Wind”. But for Delhiites, chilly weather brings no hope.
Winter comes with bad news – smog, delayed trains and flights, and difficulty in breathing as air quality dips. With temperatures falling in the Capital, environmentalists say it’s time to brace for winter pollution levels, which tend to be higher as cool air, along with the pollutants, don’t disperse like hot air does.
Last year, the Centre for Science and Environment’s (CSE) analysis of official air quality index found that 65 per cent of the days in December and 47 per cent in January recorded “severe” levels of pollution – the worst type.
“The government needs to put in place a winter plan as the levels of pollution always increase around this time. It’s difficult to forecast pollution levels, but particulate matter in the air remains very high this season,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, the Centre for Science and Environment’s Executive Director for research and advocacy and the head of its Right to Clean Air campaign.
The plan should include a public awareness campaign, where Delhiites get real-time data on air quality.
“For instance, people should know what to do if the warning is ‘severe’. The government should also have a plan in place for say when the air quality remains ‘severe’ for three consecutive days,” Ms. Roychowdhury said.
Apart from more awareness, Delhi needs stricter enforcement of PUC norms and the ban against waste burning, said activists.
The Delhi Government said there was a crackdown against open waste burning currently, and increased checking of vehicular pollution.
“We have ramped up enforcement of existing pollution control rules. We have recently fined 39 big construction sites for air pollution as they were not properly covered,” said Ashwani Kumar, Secretary of the Environment and Forest Department.
He added that the six air quality monitoring centres under the Delhi Pollution Control Committee were putting out real-time data online.
“We are in the process of making the data available through apps for mobile phones as well as putting up LED display boards at certain locations,” said Mr. Kumar.
The government needs to put in place a winter plan as the levels of pollution always increase around this time. Delhiites should get real-time data on air quality
What a winter action plan should have
- Real-time information sharing of air quality data with citizens
- Incentive for public transport use on days when air quality is severe
- Strict enforcement of ban on open waste burning, PUC norms
Air quality on Friday
Severe warnings for three monitoring centres
Station | Average PM2.5 level (in micrograms per cubic metre) |
Anand Vihar | 443 |
Punjabi Bagh | 449 |
R.K. Puram | 420 |
Standard: 60 micrograms per cubic metre
