40% dip in particulate matter: EPCA

Report attributes fall in toxicity levels to reduction in diesel emissions, carpooling

AAP member Ashish Khetan addresses the media outside the High Court after the hearing on odd-even plan.Photo: V. Sudershan

The government’s experiment of cutting private cars on the roads down by half has brought levels of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides down by 40 per cent, according to a report by the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA).

The report, which cites an analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment and the findings of the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur’s draft study on pollution sources, was submitted by the Delhi Government to the High Court on Friday.

According to the CSE analysis, the decrease in PM and NOx levels is largely due to the reduction in diesel emissions. The report says that car-pooling and sharing of vehicles has reduced each Delhiite’s contribution to the pollution load.

Referring to the IIT-Kanpur study, which is yet to be released, the EPCA report claims that vehicles are the second biggest emitters of the harmful PM2.5 (at 20 per cent) and therefore require special attention.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party took credit for the decline in pollution levels, as claimed by the EPCA report.

Speaking at a press conference, the vice-chairperson of the Delhi Dialogues Commission, Ashish Khetan, said that the odd-even scheme has turned out to be a success.

“What we are witnessing in the atmosphere of Delhi after the implementation of odd-even scheme is extra-ordinary. The levels of pollution in the city are at a historic low during this time of the year. Many people are doing a plain vanilla reading of the facts, but you have to see it in perspective,” he added.

Giving the credit to the odd-even scheme for the decrease in pollution levels, he said: “Now that the record has been set straight after the EPCA report all the analysis should be factually done.”

Mr. Khetan also said that due to the odd-even scheme, the lesser congestion on roads has made travel easy for people and it is a pleasure to drive on Delhi roads these days. “The lesser number of cars on Delhi roads has made people nostalgic and they are thinking about the Delhi of 70s when roads had lesser traffic and driving was an enjoyable activity.”